Restricted Research - Award List, Note/Discussion Page
Fiscal Year: 2023
80 University of North Texas (141968)
Principal Investigator: Ecker,Melanie Jennifer Susanne
Total Amount of Contract, Award, or Gift (Annual before 2011): $ 553,036
Exceeds $250,000 (Is it flagged?): Yes
Start and End Dates: 2/1/23 - 1/31/28
Restricted Research: YES
Academic Discipline: Biomedical Engineering
Department, Center, School, or Institute: College of Engineering
Title of Contract, Award, or Gift: CAREER: Shape Memory Polymers as Biomaterial
Name of Granting or Contracting Agency/Entity:
National Science Foundation
CFDA Link: NSF
47.049
Program Title:
none
CFDA Linked: Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Note:
The PI’s long-term goal is to use shape memory polymers (SMPs) as biomaterials and to develop novel biomedical devices thereof. SMPs have the potential to be utilized as a biomaterial in a variety of biomedical applications due to their shape morphing capabilities. Materials that can self-deploy inside the body enable applications in minimally invasive procedures. However, SMPs are not commonly used as a biomaterial because there are still some challenges left. To make these materials work in conjunction within the biological environment, they need to be able to change their shape in response to body temperature, and they need to generate sufficient recovery force to hold up against tissues. While traditional SMPs utilize only temperature as a trigger, some polymers can respond to (body) fluids and undergo plasticization-induced shape recovery. In this CAREER proposal, the PI proposes to elucidate the underlying mechanism of the plasticization induced shape memory effect of thiol-ene based polymers. The model application for this material will be a heat shrink tubing that can shrink at bodily conditions (37° C and simulated body fluids) and can be used to seal colonic anastomosis. The specific aims are to (1) Systematically investigate the effect of crosslink-density and chain extender length on the plasticization-induced shape memory effect of thiol-ene based polymers. Mechanical and thermomechanical measurements inside simulated body fluids will be used to assess shape memory properties and structure-property relationships; (2) Understand the relationship between material thickness, degree of shape-programming, and radial recovery forces of tube-shaped SMPs to determine optimal design parameters for sufficient shape recovery using the heat shrink tube model; (3) Demonstrate the functionality of a biomedical heat shrink tube that utilizes the plasticization induced shape recovery through an ex vivo colon anastomosis model and quantify mechanical and sealing properties.
Discussion: No discussion notes