Fabrication and characterization of polymeric sutures and brain stents

Biodegradable polymers are used in the production of a variety of biomedical devices, including sutures and stents. Sutures are medical devices used to facilitate healing by binding tissue together. Biomedical stents restore various pathways, such as clogged arteries. The sutures were fabricated through the process of extrusion at varying collection speeds. These stents were fabricated with poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) through extrusion, followed by 3D printing. The polymers were then characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile testing, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In order to determine what qualities the optimal biodegradable medical device should have, as well as how it would behave once used in the body, the sutures and stent would be tested under a number of conditions, such as pH, temperature, and rate of degradation. Results of suture testing found that the thinner polymers are stronger than thicker polymers. In addition, the PLA brain stent was stronger than the ABS stent in both axial and transverse loading.