Question

Discuss the role of polymer in medicine and surgery.

Answer 1

Materials which are not causing adverse effect on blood and other tissues can be used in diagnostic, surgical and can be implanted in the body. They can be developed from metals, ceramics and polymers. Uses of polymers in the field of medicine and surgery are increasing day by day. Characteristics of biomedical polymers are:

1. should be bio-compatible, can be fabricated into desire shape or form without being degraded.
2. can be easily sterilized with no alteration in properties, should have optimum physical and chemical properties.

Examples are as follows:

POLYMER	APPLICATION
1.PMMA.	Contact lenses.
2.silicon rubber, polyurethane.	Heart walls, drain tubes.
3.Polyvinyl chloride.	Disposable syringes.
4.polyalkyl sulphone.	Membrane oxygenator.