Polyurethane immobilization of cells and biomolecules : medical and environmental applications

This book provides a comprehensive review of the chemistry and research illustrating the benefits of polyurethane for immobilizing cells, with dozens of case studies in medical devices and environmental engineering. • Offers an essential resource for medical and environmental scientists • Provides a multidisciplinary and lucid writing style that uses little or no jargon • Extrapolates current technology into advanced areas, especially environmental remediation and medical devices • Fills the gap between immobilization research and practical applications Intro -- Title Page -- Table of Contents -- Preface -- Cover Art -- 1 Polyurethane Chemistry -- Introduction -- The Chemistry -- The Water Reaction -- Process -- Biodegradable PUR -- Conclusion -- References -- 2 Laboratory Practice -- Introduction -- Prepolymers -- Hydrophilic Foams -- Custom Prepolymers, Foams, and Scaffolds -- Examples -- Structure-Property Relationships -- The Special Case of Hydrophilic Polyurethane Foams -- Physical and Chemical Testing -- Biocompatibility Testing -- Process Equipment -- References -- 3 Scaffolds -- Introduction -- Bioscaffolds -- Scaffolds for Medical Applications (In Vivo and Extracorporeal) -- The Liver Model -- The Extracellular Matrix as Scaffold -- The Physical Scaffold -- Design of an Ideal Scaffold -- Drug Discovery -- Materials of Construction -- The "Ideal" Scaffold -- Specifications of the Ideal Scaffold -- References -- 4 Immobilization -- Introduction -- Methods of Immobilization -- Immobilization by Adsorption -- Protein Adsorption -- Immobilization by Extraction -- Immobilization by Entrapment -- Summary of Encapsulation -- Immobilization by Covalent Bonding -- Summary -- Polyurethane Immobilization -- Preparation of Immobilized Biomolecules -- Notable Uses of Polyurethane for Immobilization -- Conclusion to Immobilization -- References -- 5 Controlled Release from a Hydrogel Scaffold -- Introduction -- Release Rates -- Examples of Hydrogels Used for Controlled Release -- Controlled Release by Diffusion -- Islet Encapsulation -- Other Controlled Release Examples -- Summary and Conclusions -- References -- Index -- End User License Agreement