This document summarizes a seminar presentation on polymers used in the medical field. It discusses various bioplastics like PCL and PLA, as well as polymers used in medical devices and implants such as PEEK, which is used in spinal fusion devices. It also covers applications of polymers in general surgery as suture materials and surgical meshes, as well as uses in opthalmology like contact lenses and intraocular lenses. The document provides details on the properties and medical uses of these various polymers.

1. SEMINAR PRESENTATION ON
POLYMERS USE IN MEDICAL FIELD
PRESENTATION BY
(TEAM-08)
 VIVEK KUMAR PATEL(1618987657)
 VISHAL KUMAR VISHWAKARMA(1618987038)
 KAPIL SINGH(1618987681)
 ABHINEET KUMAR YADAV(1618987682)
 SURAJ MOURYA(1618987656)
12/9/2018
SUBMITTED TO
MR. AB ULLASH
SIR

2. 12/9/2018
Topics to Be Covered:-
• BIOPLASTICS
• POLY ETHER ETHER KETONE
• GENERAL SURGICAL IMPLANTS
• OPHTALMOLOGY
• POLY – LACTIC ACID(PLA)

3. Introduction:-
• Modern medicine would be impossible without
the application of various natural or artificial
materials. Among them, polymers, both natural
and synthetic, play a key role. The purpose of
some of them is to stay in the body forever, but
others are only intended for temporary use, and,
historically, these had to be removed or excreted
from the body. This step can now be avoided if
biodegradable materials are used; after they
have served their purpose, they break down and
are absorbed by the body.
12/9/2018

4. • In medicine, biodegradable polymers offer great
potential for controlled drug delivery and wound
management (e.g., adhesives, sutures, and surgical
meshes), for orthopedic devices (screws, pins, and rods),
and for dental applications (filler after a tooth extraction)
and tissue engineering, just to name the most important.
• The application of biodegradable synthetic polymers
started several decades ago, and since then it has been
the focus of much research. This is because the
requirements are quite complex: the polymer must be
biocompatible, not to evoke an inflammatory response,
and must have suitable mechanical and processing
characteristics. Furthermore, the degradation products
cannot be harmful and must be readily resorbed or
excreted. For these reasons, it is important to test each
material adequately before use in the human body, not
only in vitro but also in vivo.
12/9/2018

5. • Since the requirements are variable, there is
no ideal polymer for use in medicine.
Currently, new materials are being developed
which should possess desired properties for
highly specific purposes, because the existing
materials are not good enough from the
viewpoint of physical, biochemical, or
degradation properties. Because new
challenges continue to appear, the
development of novel biomaterials remains a
popular topic. Moreover, beside materials,
processing techniques are also developed, very
often thanks to computer exploitation.
12/9/2018

6. • Aside from the advantages of biodegradable
polymers used in medicine, such as easier
physiological and less invasive repair or the
possibility of tissue growth, problematic issues
remain. The products of degradation (monomers,
additives) can be toxic, sterilization might be
difficult, and so forth.
• For this special issue, researchers are invited to
submit original research papers with the purpose
of making breakthrough findings accessible to a
relevant audience. Also welcome are review
articles summarizing the very latest
developments in the area
12/9/2018

7. 12/9/2018
BIOPLASTICS:-
• Bioplastic is a type of plastic. Which is
derived from renewable biomass sources
such as vegetable fats, oil, corn starch
and food waste.
• Examples:
PCL(polycaprolactone)
PLA(polylacticacid)
Polyesteramide

8. 12/9/2018
PROPERTIES OF
BIOPLASTICS:-
• Some are stiff and brittle.
• Degrades at 185°c.
• Moisture resist and optically pure.
• Some are rubbery and moldable.

9. 12/9/2018
PCL
(POLYCAPROLACTONE):-
• PCL is a biodegradable thermoplastic with a low
melting point of around 60 °c.
• And Tg(glass transition temperature) about -
60°c.
• It has lowest density and highest ductiliy among
polyester.

10. 12/9/2018
BIOMEDICAL
APPLICATIONS:-
• PCL is approved by FDA(food and drug
administration) in specific application use
in the human body. Such as drug delivery
device, suture, adhesion barrier etc.
• It has been investigated as a scaffold for
tissue repair via tissue engineer.

11. • The variety of drugs have been
encapsulated within PCL beads
for controlled release and
targeted drug delivery.
• PCL use in rapidly growing field of
human anaesthetic.
12/9/2018

12. 12/9/2018
Poly Ether Ether
Ketone(PEEK)
PEEK is a colourless ,
organic , semi-crystalline
thermoplastic in the poly
aryl ether ketone family
used in engineering
application. It was
originally introduced by
Victrex PLC.

13. Properties
• Density:-1.32 g/cm^3
• Young's Modulus:-3.66 GPa
• Tensile strength:-90-100 MPa
• Elongation @Break:- 50%
• Tg:- 143°C
• Tm:-343°C
• Excellent creep resistance, fatigue, stress crack,chemical &
hydrolysis resistance. Very low moisture absorption~0.1%
in 24'hours.
• Attached by halogens,halogenated compounds & aliphatic
@ high temperature.
• Soluble in H2SO4@room temperature.
• Can withstand high temperature ~250°C
• Resistant to thermal as well as biodegradation

14. Applications:-
• Used in medical implants.
• Fabrication of bearings, piston,pumps, HPLC
compressor plate valve & cable insulations.
• Used for ultra high vaccum applications.
• Coatings for metals.
• Application in aerospace, automotive &
chemical processing industries.
• Used in spinal fusion devices.
• Used as reinforcing rods.

15. PEEK IN MEDICAL INDUSTRY
• PEEK- LT 1, PEEK-LT 2, PEEK-LT 3
have been already applied in
different surgical fields; spine
surgery,orthopedic
surgery,maxillo- facial surgery
etc.
• PEEK materials are an important
biomaterials used for bone and
cartilage replacement.
• PEEK can also be used in 3D
printing process.

16. GENERAL SURGICAL IMPLANTS:-
 Suture Materials
 Tissue Adhesive and Sealants
 Surgical Mashes
12/9/2018

17. SUTURE MATERIAL:-
 Suture materials and staples are a domain of polymers in
general surgery. Tensile strength, friction/trauma to tissue,
degradability and stability of knots are main parameters for the
selection of suture materials.
 Still a number of biological suture materials in use. Degradable
biological suture materials are collagen based materials, catgut;
non-degradablebio-poly- mers are silk or cellulose(cotton).
Synthetic resorbable materials are PGA, polyglacticacid (Vicryl),
PDS,poliglecaprone25 (Monocryl); non-resorbable suture
materials are nylon,poly- ethylene, polypropylene(Prolene),
polyester, polybutester, and Polyvinylidenfluorid (PVDF)
 Generally fast healing tissue, such as peritoneum and inner
organs is treated with resorbable suture material, whereas slow-
healing tissue and tissue with high mechanical exposure, such as
skin or tendons, are treated with non-resorbable material.
12/9/2018

18. TISSUE ADHESIVE AND SEALANTS:-
 Tissue adhesives are an alternative to sutures with lower
adhesion strength than sutures. The main biological sealants
are fibrin glues with the main two components fibrin and
thrombin mixed at the site of the wound. However, there are
also collagen-, gelatin-, and polysaccharide-(chitosan,
alginate, heparin or chondroitin sulfate) based adhesives. Due
to the limited strength of these adhesives, they are mainly
used to prevent bleeding and they are combined with sutures.
 Photopolymer- ized PEG-based hydrogels find application for
bigger wounds in thoracic surgery. Dendrimers with reactive
end groups have application in ophthalmic surgery.
 However the curing time of the polyurethane adhesives and
sealants usually is too long for practical application.
12/9/2018

19. SURGICAL MESHES:-
 Reconstructive meshes in general surgery support organs
or tissue to prevent a prolapse or hernia.
 The main classifications of the surgical meshes are
according to the mash size or the weight of the mesh,
because this is more relevant for the biological response
than the material .
 The main polymers for non-resorbable meshes are
expanded PP, ePTFE, PET or PVDF, however, also they show
significant signs of degradation at the surface and even
fragmentation. Among these materials PVDF meshes
usually induce less foreign body response than PP meshes
do. Large pores(<o1 mm) generally show less in
flammation and bridging scare formation than small pores
do.
12/9/2018

20. OPHTHALMOLOGY
It is a branch of medical for disorder in
eyes and their treatments.
Many polymers are used by
opthalmologists during and after surgery
of Eye’s disorders.
12/9/2018

21. Contact Lenses:-
They are the most frequently applied biomaterials on
the eye. Early polymer lenses were made of rigid
PMMA but being hard and oxygen impermeable it
was harmful for the cornea’s epithelial cells. So
introduction of silicon acrylates allowed the formation
of rigid gas permeable contact lenses. Siloxane
containing hydrogels contact lenses are used for up
to one month permanent wear. Such hydrogel
contact lenses are currently considered as drug
release systems, e.g. in the treatment of glaucoma.
12/9/2018

22. Intraocular lenses:-
IOLs after cataract surgery are the most
frequently implanted polymer devices in
opthalmology. They traditionally were made of
PMMA. They are equipped with a chromophore
to absorb UV light, some also absorb blue or
violet light to protect the retina. Alternatives
are silicone, copolymers of acrylate and
methacrylate.
12/9/2018

23. Other Polymer Devices In
Ophthalmology:-
In the frame of retinal detachment treatment, the
vitreous body of the eye is generally removed and
the needs to be substituted. Gases octafluoropropane
and sulfur hexaflouride are most frequently used for
this. Silicon oil is the first choice for complex retinal
detachment.
Hydrogels of crosslinked PVA, PVP, PEG, and
poly(acrylamide) are also used in ophthalmology.
12/9/2018

24. 12/9/2018
Poly-Lactic Acid (PLA):-
• Poly-lactic acid is the smallest organic molecules from natural
origin, that are optically active with either L (+) or D (-)
stereoisomer, produced by animals, plants and
microorganisms in nature 15. In 1780, lactic acid was first
isolated and published 16. Carothers in his review mentioned
the dimerization of lactic acid into lacticide by ring-opening
polymerization. He also mentioned that lactic acid would
undergo reversible polymerization i.e. characteristic of six
atoms cyclic ester 17. The polymers formed by six membered
cyclic esters called linear polyesters and, at some instance,
the chains opened and replaced by hydroxyl (OH) and
carboxylic (COOH) groups.
• The polymerization and the depolymerization both takes
place by interchanging the esters 18. In 1960’s, the
biodegradability and non-toxicity of these polymers for use in
biomedical applications became perceivable 19. PLA have
become one of most promising polymer due to their
biocompatibility and biodegradability and have wide range of
applications in biomedical science and biotechnology.

25. 12/9/2018
PLA in Wound Management:-
PLA and their copolymers used in various applications of
wound management, like for making surgical sutures,
healing dental wounds, and preventing postoperative
adhesions. Li et al., (2011) analyzed the capability and
contingency of PLA ureteral stents used for treating the
ureteral injuries. PLA stents are degradable type that
later can be removed from human body 25.
Consequently, PLA stents displayed a promising future in
the treatment of ureteral injuries. Qin et al., (2006) in his
work used PLA polymer blends to prevent postoperative
adhesions. The PLA blends are more flexible as compared
to pure PLA because the mechanical properties of pure
PLA such as tensile strength, Young’s modulus and glass
transition temperature were higher as compared to the
PLA blends 26.

26. 12/9/2018
PLA in Drug Delivery System:-
In drug delivery systems, the drug could release persistently
for different period up to one year. PLA are using in drug
delivery system because it is completely biodegradable, it
has better encapsulation capacity, biocompatible and less
toxic. Polymeric drug release occurs in three ways: erosion,
diffusion and swelling. The degradation occurs when water
enters the biodegradable polymer containing monomers
connected by ester bonds with each other. The ester bonds
breaks randomly by hydrolytic ester cleavage, leading to
subsequent erosion of the device. For degradable polymers,
erosion occurs by two methods, which are homogeneous /
bulk erosion and heterogeneous / surface erosion 28. PLA
and their copolymers in the form of nano-particles were in
the encapsulation process of many drugs, such as psychotic,
restenosis, hormones, oridonin, dermatotherapy, and protein
(BSA) 29. Methods to obtain these nano-particles are solvent
evaporation, solvent displacement, salting out, and emulsion
solvent diffusion. Ling and Huang 30 used the poly (lacticco-
glycolic) acid nano-particles for loading the drug, paclitaxel.

27. 12/9/2018
PLA in Orthopedic Devices:-
Biodegradable polymers used in orthopedic applications to avoid
a second surgical procedure to remove unnecessary hardware.
PLA polymers are required to prepare biodegradable suture
anchors, screws and fixation pins 32. These absorbable screws
and pins have been widely used in clinical applications, more
commonly where high mechanical strength was not required. In
some cases, high mechanical strength of the PLA was required,
so that techniques used to improve the mechanical properties of
PLA, specifically impact tensile strength and modulus of fracture
in bone fixation, where both metal and biodegradable plate, pins
and rods has limited their applications in fracture fixation 33.
Bostman et al., 34 mentioned that PLA copolymers were
biocompatible in the human body. They also stated their risk
that 6 out of 120 patients treated with pins manufactured from
copolymers of PLA / PGA might develop an aseptic cavity at the
emplacement site, which is very low and resolved by further
modifications 35.

28. Conclusion & Future Scope of
Polymers in medical field:-
• Polymers will be the material of the new millennium
and the production of polymeric parts i.e.
green, sustainable, energy-efficient, high quality,
low-priced, etc. will assure the accessibility of the
finest solutions round the globe. Synthetic polymers
have since a long time played a relatively important
role in present-day medicinal practice. Many devices
in medicine and even some artificial organs are
constructed with success from synthetic polymers. It
is possible that synthetic polymers may play an
important role in future pharmacy, too.
12/9/2018

29. • The major polymer targeting industries of the
present day life includes Ceramic industries,
in stem cell biology and Regenerative Medicine.
• Polymers in Stem Cell Biology
• Biopolymers in Drug Delivery
• Market growth of Polymers
• In Gene Delivery Systems
• Self-Healing and Reprocess-able Polymer
Systems
• Smart Polymers
12/9/2018

30. 12/9/2018