POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE: A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A THROMBORESISTANT BIOMATERIAL

摘要

Silicone rubber as used in blood contacting situations usually contains fillers, catalyst and other additives. In this study, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) alone was cross-linked by ionizing radiation in a nitrogen atmosphere to produce a 'pure' silicone rubber. This material exhibited a Lee-White clotting time over 45 minutes and a clotting time of 90 minutes when air-blood contact was minimized. Comparable times for commercial silicones are 25 and 60 minutes. In extracorporeal testing using a 'Mini Lung', an irradiated PDMS coated membrane demonstrated greatly improved thromboresistance over standard silicone rubber membranes. (Author)