Cardiovascular prostheses based on polymeric materials with improved hemocompatibility

Hemocompatibility is not a characteristic depending only on chemical properties of materials. In the last ten years it has been observed that materials potentially hemocompatible with regards to their chemical structure, proved to be unsatisfactory for the fabrication of prostheses in contact with blood. Quite recently some Authors have pointed out the important role, for the blood compatibility of a prosthesis, both of the physico-mechanical properties of materials and of the fabrication process which can vary the porosity and the surface characteristics. In the attempt to improve the final hemocompatibility (i.e. that shown by prostheses "in vivo") of new thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) already synthesized in our laboratories and showing good hemocompatibility (from "in vitro" tests) based on their chemical structure, we are also studying different fabrication processes which can modify the bulk and surface properties, when used for the production of cardiovascular prostheses.