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Electrospinning fabrication of high‐trackable catheter tip with gradually graded or gradient flexibility
Author(s) -
Matsuda Takehisa,
Kawahara Daigo
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.31061
Subject(s) - mandrel , electrospinning , materials science , fabrication , deflection (physics) , composite material , elastomer , polymer , polyurethane , biomedical engineering , optics , engineering , physics , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
Increasing demand for a flexible catheter tip exists in the rapidly growing fields of vascular and interventional radiology. This article describes a fabrication technology producing a catheter tip with gradually graded or gradient flexibility. Based on deflection mechanics of a tubular construct, three models were incorporated into structural designs. The models included graded wall thickness, tapered shape, or graded Young's moduli. Electrospinning using elastomeric polymer [poly( L ‐lactide‐ co ‐ε‐caprolactone), polyurethane] solutions on a transversely and rotationally moving mandrel enabled preparation of three prototype tubular tips by either regio‐specific control of wall thickness, tapered mandrel, or regiospecific deposition of polyurethanes with different Young's moduli. All prototype tips exhibited high flexibility at tip ends, as verified using a bifurcated vessel model. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008