The invention relates to a polymer for tissue engineering from biodegradable polyphosphazenes, having photopolymerizable side groups, wherein the side groups of the polyphosphazenes are formed exclusively from amino acids and/or amino acid derivatives, which are bonded to the backbone of the polyphosphazene via the amino group of the amino acid and to a spacer attached to the acid group with a carbon chain of length m, which has a vinyl group at the free end, wherein m=0 to m=10.

Polymeric based closed cell foams, such as shape memory polymer foams, contain bubbles. Making these bubbles continuous is called reticulation. Disclosed are embodiments of a device and method to controllably reticulate polymer-based closed cell foams by puncturing the membranes of these polymer-based closed cell foams.

Disclosed is a resilient foam and methods of making the foam. The resilient foam includes a derivatized polyanionic polysaccharide and has an open-cell structure. When the resilient foam is contacted with water, the foam forms a thixotropic hydrogel.

A method and system are used to enhance a marker material to include a plurality of air bubbles. The method of manufacturing a marker includes enhancing a marker material to include a plurality of air bubbles using at least a first EFD and a second EFD. The method may include cycling repeatedly through a transfer process between a first container and a second container. A system for enhancing a marker material includes a transfer apparatus configured to receive a marker material and a selected amount of air. The system comprises a first EFD coupled to a first end of the transfer apparatus and a second EFD coupled to a second end of the transfer apparatus.

An embodiment includes a system comprising: a monolithic shape memory polymer (SMP) foam having first and second states; wherein the SMP foam includes: (a) polyurethane, (b) an inner half portion having inner reticulated cells defined by inner struts, (c) an outer half portion, having outer reticulated cells defined by outer struts, surrounding the inner portion in a plane that provides a cross-section of the SMP foam, (d) hydroxyl groups chemically bound to outer surfaces of both the inner and outer struts. Other embodiments are discussed herein.

A method of forming a void, channel and/or vascular network in a polymeric matrix comprises providing a pre-vascularized structure that includes a matrix material and a sacrificial material embedded in the matrix material in a predetermined pattern, where the matrix material comprises a monomer and the sacrificial material comprises a polymer. A region of the matrix material is activated to initiate an exothermic polymerization reaction and generate a self-propagating polymerization front. As the polymerization front propagates through the matrix material and polymerizes the monomer, heat from the exothermic reaction simultaneously degrades the sacrificial material into a gas-phase and/or liquid-phase byproduct. Thus, one or more voids or channels having the predetermined pattern are rapidly formed in the matrix material.

An aerogel that includes an open-cell structured polymer matrix that can have 5 wt. % to 50 wt. % of a polyamic amide polymer, based on the total weight of the aerogel is disclosed. The aerogel can have a density of 0.05 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.35 g/cm.sup.3 and can be thermally stable to resist browning at 330 C.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a nerve conduit containing cells, more particularly to a method for preparing a porous nerve conduit containing cells, having micropores formed in microchannels, wherein the nerve conduit containing cells prepared according to the present invention can be usefully used in in-vitro and in-vivo researches on nerves.

The present invention provides a method for preparing hydrophilic polymer foam. The method comprises a step of providing an isocyanate functionalized prepolymer (A) and a step of foaming and curing the prepolymer (A). The prepolymer (A) is prepared by reacting diisocyanate (A1) and polyether polyol (A2), wherein the diisocyanate (A1) is selected from any one and a combination of 1,4-butyl diisocyanate (BDI), lysine diisocyanate (LDI) and 1,5-pentyl diisocyanate (PDI); the polyether polyol (A2) is a copolymer of ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) and/or butylene oxide (BO); the ethylene oxide has a weight percentage of about 50%-100% in the polyether polyol, and has an OH functionality degree of 3-6, a hydroxyl value of about 21 mg KOH/g-168 mg KOH/g and a number-average molecular weight of about 1000 g/mol to about 8000 g/mol; and NCO content in the prepolymer (A) is 1%-10%.

A silicone foam is described that is produced in-situ at a wound site, e.g. in a wound cavity, through a multi-component system, based on a physical foaming process, wherein the gas required to form the foam structure is provided through a blowing agent independently of the curing reaction of polyorganosiloxane components of the multi-component system. Therefore, the blowing agent is provided as a distinct entity of the multi-component system that is, in particular, not the result of any chemical reaction taking place in the multi-component system. A device for producing the foam and the corresponding negative pressure wound therapy kit are also described.