Studies on segmented polyetherurethane for biomedical application: Effects of composition and hard-segment content on biocompatibility

Segmented polyetherurethane (SPEU) materials based on polytetramethylene oxide (PTMO, Mw 1000 and 2000) with various hard‐segment contents were synthesized and their biocompatibilities studied via different tests. The static contact angle data reveal that the higher hard‐segment‐content SPEU material possesses a lower contact angle, implying that the surface of the higher hard‐segment‐content SPEU is more hydrophilic than its low hard‐segment‐content SPEU counterpart. The catalyst‐ and additive‐free PTMO‐based SPEU materials in this study possess neither a hemolytic nor a cytotoxic response that could be considered non toxic for biomedical applications. By using L‐929 cell lines, a cell‐seeding test indicated that the higher hard‐segment‐content SPEU material possesses quicker cell attachment and proliferation behaviors. In vitro platelet adhesion tests indicated that the lower hard‐segment‐content SPEU possesses less platelet adhesion than the high hard‐segment‐content SPEU material. Both ex vivo canine artery–artery (A‐A) and arterio–venous (A‐V) shunting tests revealed that the extent of platelet adhesion reaction is less for lower hard‐segment‐content SPEU. In addition, the blood compatibility of SPEU material synthesized from PTMO 1000 excels over PTMO 2000 SPEU material by nearly the same levels as the hard‐segment‐content SPEU. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 41, 633–648, 1998.