EAGER: "Collaborative Research: Dynamic Melt Control for the Manufacture of Enhanced Polymer-Based Biomedical Devices"

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0961071 and 096174 collaborative proposal AbstractThe research objective of this EAGER award is to develop effective molecular orientation focused novel processing science for bioinert and biodegradable polymer systems. During recent years novel polymer melt manipulation techniques have been developed at Lehigh University. These techniques induce carefully designed polymer melt oscillation to align polymer molecules in desired ways during product manufacturing. Processing optimization will be assured via coupled studies of the mechanical and cellular response of resultant bio-polymer products. The project will further enhance the effectiveness of melt manipulation processing for localized product quality control, and do so specifically for polymers associated with biomedical applications. An interdisciplinary research team coupling strengths at Lehigh University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University will explore the connections between applied melt manipulation conditions and final biomedical product quality attributes. Components of the study will explore 1) the development and assessment of novel routes to implement dynamic melt control; 2) the capability to reliably tune important biodegradable polymer product quality characteristics such as degradation kinetics via dynamic melt control during manufacturing; and 3) the level to which blood-polymer surface interactions can be influenced via dynamic melt control based product manufacturing. If successful, the results of this research will enable the development and cost effective manufacture of biopolymer-based medical devices with mechanical, blood interaction, and biodegradable properties tailored to specific biomedical applications. The advanced material processing techniques developed will enable production in a high-volume and low cost environment. To assure the societal relevance of the proposed research endeavor, significant industrial involvement and guidance will be included. The broader educational impact of the program will be enhanced by the inclusion of undergraduate students. In addition, numerous middle and high school students per year, the majority of which will be from under-represented and minority populations, will be exposed to the research as part of established and award winning programs that partner the two Universities with the surrounding school districts.