JP2004321484A - Medical high molecular nano-micro fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ideal biocompatible instrument with a high elastic support layer with medical high molecular fibers as a basic structure. <P>SOLUTION: The medical material includes a nonwoven fabric manufactured with medical high molecular fibers whose outer diameter is from several nano-meters to several tens of micro-meters. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a medical material including a functional nanofiber nonwoven fabric.
[0002]
[Prior art]
BACKGROUND ART Various medical materials have been used as substitutes for organs or tissues that can no longer fulfill their functions due to various diseases. Since most of these medical materials are implanted in the living body, they have extremely strict material properties from the viewpoint of biocompatibility, such as no toxicity, antigenicity, thrombogenicity, etc., and have sufficient durability. Is required.
[0003]
In order to obtain such functionality required for medical materials, for example, artificial blood vessels in which various biopolymers are fixed or impregnated in a flexible polymer tube have been clinically applied. This artificial blood vessel has, for example, an inner surface of a highly elastic segmented polyurethane tube coated with an antithrombotic material and an outer surface coated with collagen or gelatin (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 60-242857: Patent Document 1). . However, such an artificial blood vessel has good adhesion of endothelial cells, but has high adhesion of platelets, and has a problem that an artificial blood vessel is blocked by a thrombus before endothelial cells proliferate on the inner surface. Further, since foreign substance reaction, heat generation, coating peeling, antigenicity, toxicity, durability, and inflammatory reaction occur, there remains a problem in terms of safety and the like.
[0004]
On the other hand, as a method for producing an artificial blood vessel, a method described in JP-A-59-11864 (Patent Document 2) and US Pat. No. 4,552,707 (Patent Document 3) are known. However, in these methods, there is room for improvement because a method for realizing a functional hierarchical structure inherent in vascular tissue has not been developed.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-60-242857
[0006]
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-59-11864
[0007]
[Patent Document 3]
U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,707
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention provides an ideal biocompatible instrument while providing a high elastic support layer using a medical polymer fiber having an outer diameter of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers as a basic skeleton. It is an object to provide a functional medical material and a method for producing the same.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present inventor has conducted intensive studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as a result of conducting electrospinning on various polymer raw materials, to produce a medical material having excellent functions by laminating the obtained fiber layers. Successfully, the present invention has been completed.
[0010]
That is, the present invention is as follows.
(1) A medical material including a nonwoven fabric produced using medical polymer fibers having an outer diameter of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers.
(2) A medical material in which a nonwoven fabric made of medical polymer fibers having an outer diameter of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers is laminated in at least two layers.
(3) In the above-mentioned medical materials, examples of the medical polymer include natural polymers and / or synthetic polymers. Here, as the natural polymer, at least one selected from the group consisting of collagen, gelatin, proteoglycan, dextran, chitin, chitosan, silk, hyaluronic acid, albumin, elastin, nucleic acid, heparin and heparan sulfate, or a derivative thereof is used. can do. Synthetic polymers include polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polylactide, polyglutamic acid, poly-ε-caprolactone, poly-p-dioxane, polyα-malic acid and poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid, and polylactic acid and polycaprolactone. Or at least one selected from the group consisting of copolymers with, or, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyester, polyethylene glycol, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene From terephthalate, nylon, poly-N-isopropylacrylamide, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, polyallyl sulfone and polysulfone The can be used at least one selected from that group.
[0011]
In the medical material of the present invention, the medical polymer can be at least one selected from the group consisting of collagen, gelatin and polyurethane, and more preferably collagen, gelatin and polyurethane.
[0012]
Further, the medical material of the present invention includes an artificial neural tube, artificial esophagus, artificial trachea, artificial blood vessel, artificial valve, artificial chest wall, artificial pericardium, artificial diaphragm, artificial peritoneum, artificial ligament, artificial tendon, artificial cornea, artificial skin, Artificial joints, artificial cartilage, dental materials, surgical sutures, surgical fillers, surgical reinforcing materials, wound protection materials, fracture bonding materials, contact lenses, intraocular lenses, mesh, medical nonwoven fabrics, infusion and blood bags Used for tubing, surgical gloves, gowns, sheets or filter applications. Particularly preferably, it is for artificial blood vessels.
(4) An artificial blood vessel in which a nonwoven fabric made of medical polymer fibers having an outer diameter of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers is laminated in at least two layers.
[0013]
Examples of the medical polymer used for the artificial blood vessel include collagen, gelatin, and polyurethane.
(5) A method for producing an artificial blood vessel, comprising laminating at least two layers of a nonwoven fabric made of medical polymer fibers having an outer diameter of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers.
[0014]
Examples of the medical polymer used in the method of the present invention include collagen, gelatin and polyurethane.
[0015]
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The present invention is a medical material including a nonwoven fabric made using fibers having an outer diameter (thickness) of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers. This fiber is electrospun using a medical polymer. In particular, the medical material of the present invention is a non-woven fabric in which each of the high elastic elastomer segmented polyurethane, photogelled gelatin, and collagen is converted into nano-microfibers by an electrospinning method, and these are laminated in a hierarchical manner. Or a mixture. As a result, it is possible to realize a design concept of forming a basic skeleton layer of a highly elastic support and providing different biocompatibility to the lumen side and the outside.
1. Electrospinning equipment
The present invention uses a nonwoven fabric of fibers obtained by electrospinning a medical polymer (polymer) as a medical material. Electrospinning (ELSP) is a polymer spinning method using a high voltage electric field, which is capable of producing fibers of nano- or micro-scale size that are difficult to obtain by other spinning methods. . Since this spinning method can produce a nonwoven fabric composed of nanoscale fibers, which is very similar to the microstructure of a natural extracellular matrix, it has recently been applied to tissue engineering materials such as skeleton substrates. Attention has been paid.
[0017]
The ELSP device includes a DC high-voltage power supply (5 to 30 kV), an infusion pump, a stainless needle syringe, and a metal collector (FIG. 1). The tip of the needle syringe is a nozzle for injecting the polymer solution. After appropriately setting conditions such as polymer concentration, solvent, flow rate, applied voltage, and syringe-collector distance (also referred to as “air gap”), when the polymer solution is jetted from the syringe, fibers are deposited on the collector, and the non-woven fabric is removed. Layers can be made.
[0018]
The polymer concentration can be appropriately set depending on the type of the polymer used, but is generally 1 to 30 wt%, preferably 2 to 15 wt%. When a segmented polyurethane is used as the polymer, the content is 5 to 20% by weight, preferably 7 to 15% by weight. The solvent is appropriately selected depending on the polymer used, and examples thereof include chloroform and tetrahydrofuran.
[0019]
The flow rate is 0.1 to 10 ml / hr, preferably 1 to 3 ml / hr.
[0020]
The applied voltage is 0 to 40 kV, preferably 10 to 20 kV.
[0021]
The syringe-collector distance is 5 to 50 cm, preferably 10 to 30 cm.
[0022]
When the fiber is spun by the above ELSP apparatus, the outer diameter (thickness) of the obtained fiber is from several nanometers to tens of micrometers, for example, from 1 nanometer to 90 micrometers, preferably from 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers, more preferably. It is from 10 nanometers to 1 micrometer, more preferably from 10 nanometers to 100 nanometers.
[0023]
Under the above various conditions, by setting the concentration of the polymer to be used, the flow rate, the applied voltage, and the distance between the syringe collectors to respective preferable conditions, it is possible to produce a nonwoven fabric composed of fibers having almost the same thickness, In particular, by setting the polymer concentration to a higher concentration, a nonwoven fabric in which fibers having different thicknesses are mixed can be produced. In addition, the solvent used is a mixed solvent of a low boiling point solvent that easily evaporates in the process of ELSP and a high boiling point solvent that is difficult to evaporate, and the mixing ratio is changed, and the ratio of the latter solvent is set particularly high. By doing so, a mesh-shaped nonwoven fabric in which fibers are partially bonded can be produced.
2. Medical polymers
The medical polymer is a polymer used for artificial organs or tissues, medical instruments, and the like, and includes both natural polymers and synthetic polymers.
[0024]
Examples of the natural polymer include collagen, gelatin, proteoglycan, dextran, chitin, chitosan, silk, hyaluronic acid, albumin, elastin, nucleic acid, heparin, and heparan sulfate, and one or more of these are appropriately selected. In particular, collagen has particularly excellent properties as a material for medical materials because collagen is excellent in biocompatibility and tissue compatibility, has low antigenicity, and is completely degraded and absorbed in vivo. For example, type IV collagen (particularly type I collagen useful as an extracellular matrix) is extracted and purified from the skin, bone, cartilage or tendon of animals such as cows, pigs, birds, etc., but is generally commercially available. Things can be used.
[0025]
Examples of the synthetic polymer include polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polylactide, polyglutamic acid, poly-ε-caprolactone, poly-p-dioxane, polyα-malic acid, poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid, and the like, or polylactic acid and polylactic acid. Copolymers with caprolactone and the like can be mentioned, and one or more of these are selected and used. In addition, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyester, polyethylene glycol, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, poly (N-isopropylacrylamide), polyvinyl chloride, polymethacryl One or more species such as methyl acid, polydimethylsiloxane, polyallylsulfone, and polysulfone can be appropriately selected.
[0026]
Here, properties required for a medical polymer include affinity in vivo, cell adhesion, biodegradability, photoreactivity, mechanical durability, mechanical flexibility, and the like. However, in the present invention, one kind of polymer does not need to have all of the above properties, and the desired properties may be provided by appropriately combining polymers having one property.
[0027]
Affinity is a property that does not cause unnecessary immune reactions in vivo such as antigen-antibody reactions, and polymers that meet this property include polymethyl methacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, Examples include polypropylene and polyethylene.
[0028]
In addition, cell adhesion is a property that allows various cells to stably adhere and survive on the surface of a material, and is used by fixing and arranging cells having an appropriate function on the surface of a medical material. Required. Examples of the polymer having cell adhesion include collagen, gelatin and the like.
[0029]
Biodegradability is a property in which the main chain of the macromolecule is decomposed and absorbed in the living body by enzymes present in the living body or simply by hydrolysis. Required due to the need to replace those tissues while decomposing in a reasonable time to be repaired and reconstructed. Examples of the biodegradable polymer include polyglutamic acid, polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, a copolymer of polylactic acid and polycaprolactone, poly-ε-caprolactone, poly-p-dioxane, and poly-α-apple. Acids, poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid and the like.
[0030]
However, depending on the application, it may not be necessary to use a biodegradable polymer. As the polymer used in such a case, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyester, polyethylene glycol, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene fluoride, silicone, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene terephthalate, Nylon, poly-N-isopropylacrylamide, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, polyallyl sulfone, polysulfone, and the like.
[0031]
Photoreactivity is a property in which a chemical reaction is induced by irradiating light, and the formation of a hydrogel due to cross-linking of the polymers is caused. It is required for the formation of a hydrogel having a function of releasing these drugs slowly by swelling. Examples of the photoreactive polymer include derivatives of natural polymers, for example, gelatin derivatives such as styrenated gelatin and dithiocarbamylated gelatin. Note that styrenated gelatin means gelatin in which a styrene group is chemically bonded, and dithiocarbamylated gelatin means gelatin in which a dithiocarbamyl group is similarly introduced.
[0032]
Mechanical durability is a property of maintaining its structural and mechanical properties as stable as possible for as long as possible in use as a medical material, and is required for the production of a medical material that can withstand long-term use in a living body. Required. Mechanical flexibility is a property that, in response to a mechanical load, its structural deformation occurs sharply due to the force load, and the original shape is quickly restored by removing the load. Is required to appropriately respond to changes in the dynamic dynamic environment in the body. Segmented polyurethane is a polymer that combines mechanical durability and mechanical flexibility. The segmented polyurethane is a general term for a block copolymer-type polyurethane which has a microphase-separated structure by being composed of a polymer region (hard segment) which becomes crystalline solid and an amorphous polymer region (soft segment).
[0033]
In the present invention, a combination of collagen, gelatin and polyurethane is preferred. In particular, when gelatin is used, styrenated gelatin is preferable as described above. As the gelatin, for example, commercially available gelatin obtained from cow bone, cow skin or pig skin by an alkali method or an acid method, or gelatin prepared by heat denaturing collagen can be used. When using polyurethane, it is preferable to use segmented polyurethane. Collagen provides cell adhesion, styrenated gelatin provides photoreactivity, and segmented polyurethane provides mechanical durability and flexibility. These properties are particularly preferred for artificial blood vessels described below.
3. Electrospinning
The medical material of the present invention can be obtained in the form of a nonwoven fabric by electrospinning the above-mentioned polymer and depositing fibers jetted from a spinning nozzle. This nonwoven fabric may be made of one kind of polymer, but a plurality of polymers may be mixed and spun, or a plurality of polymers may be individually spun simultaneously at the time of spinning. Each of the plurality of polymers may be sequentially deposited into a plurality of layers. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, in the case of spinning using two jets, it is assumed that a polymer a is jetted from one jet (nozzle A) and a polymer b is jetted from the other jet (nozzle B). When the polymer a and the polymer b are simultaneously ejected from the nozzle A and the nozzle B, respectively, the two polymers are mixed and a nonwoven fabric having a mesh structure in which the respective polymers interpenetrate can be obtained (FIG. 2). Further, when one of the polymer a and the polymer b is first sprayed to produce a one-layer nonwoven fabric, and then the other polymer is sprayed onto the nonwoven fabric, a two-layer nonwoven fabric of fibers of different polymers is obtained ( (Fig. 3). Therefore, depending on the purpose, two types of polymers can be sprayed simultaneously or separately, and three or more types of polymers can be sequentially laminated (FIG. 3). By "lamination" is meant spinning and depositing another polymer over a nonwoven fabric of one polymer fiber to stack the layers of nonwoven fabric. However, it is also included in the “lamination” in the present invention that the nonwoven fabrics to be laminated are individually prepared and the respective nonwoven fabrics are laminated. The number of layers is not particularly limited, but is preferably two or more, and more preferably three or more (e.g., three to ten) in order to achieve the purpose as a medical material. preferable. When a plurality of polymers are used, natural polymers may be combined, synthetic polymers may be combined, or a natural polymer and a synthetic polymer may be combined.
[0034]
The medical material of the present invention need not be in the form of a sheet, but can be made into a cylindrical (tubular) medical material by spraying a polymer onto a rotating carrier as shown in FIG. While rotating the rotating carrier, a polymer is ejected from the spinning nozzle, and the carrier is reciprocated in the direction of the rotation axis, whereby a tubular medical material can be produced. Also in this case, if the polymer is simultaneously injected from the two types of nozzles, a mixed medical material in which fibers interpenetrate can be obtained, and if they are sequentially laminated, a laminated medical material having a plurality of layers can be obtained.
4. Uses of medical materials
Uses of the medical material of the present invention are not particularly limited, but include, for example, artificial neural tube, artificial esophagus, artificial trachea, artificial blood vessel, artificial valve, artificial chest wall, artificial pericardium, artificial diaphragm, artificial peritoneum, artificial ligament. , Artificial tendons, artificial cornea, artificial skin, artificial joints, artificial cartilage, dental materials, surgical sutures, surgical prostheses, surgical reinforcements, wound protection materials, fracture bonding materials, contact lenses, intraocular lenses, Used for mesh, medical nonwovens, infusion / blood bags, tubes, surgical gloves, gowns, sheets or filters.
[0035]
In order to produce an artificial blood vessel, it is preferable to use the rotating carrier to have a three-layer structure (FIGS. 4 and 5). That is, the design concept of the artificial blood vessel of the present invention is based on lamination or mixing of biopolymer nano-microfiber meshes having a basic skeleton layer of a highly elastic support and having different biocompatibility and physiological functions. It is to provide multi-functionality. This multifunctionality is obtained by using fibers spun with polymers having different biocompatibility. Specifically, a mesh layer of collagen capable of stably adhering vascular endothelial cells or precursor cells thereof is provided on the lumen side, and a mesh layer of photoreactive gelatin capable of releasing cell growth factors and drugs slowly is provided as an intermediate layer. In addition, a mesh layer of segmented polyurethane with excellent mechanical durability and flexibility is provided on the outside, and these are all connected by stable connective tissue, so that the lumen side design and the outside design of the blood vessel are An artificial blood vessel having distinct and sufficient mechanical strength, durability and elastic properties can be designed. The inner diameter (diameter of the hollow portion) of the artificial blood vessel can be appropriately adjusted in the range of 1 to 10 mm by using carriers having different diameters during spinning.
[0036]
The artificial blood vessel of the present invention acquires self-establishment by being covered by a pseudointimal tissue lined with an endothelial cell layer from the lumen side and by connective tissue invading into the fibrous space from the outside, and at the same time, acquiring the inner and outer layers thereof. Is ideally reinforced with a highly elastic carrier that stably supports In other words, at the cell level, the luminal side of the artificial blood vessel has cell adhesion to endothelial cells so that the endothelial cells can be covered, but does not adhere to blood cells so that platelets and leukocytes do not adhere. Adhesiveness is required, and the outside of the artificial blood vessel is required to have cell adhesion to fibroblasts, migration and proliferation. For this purpose, the basic skeleton of the artificial blood vessel (the outer periphery of the blood vessel) is provided with a segmented polyurethane nanofiber, which is a support layer of a highly elastic body, the inner lumen is provided with collagen, which is a cell adhesion matrix, It is preferable to install a gelatin nanofiber containing a physiologically active substance between them.
[0037]
【Example】
Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0038]
[Example 1] Production of medical material using segmented polyurethane
The segmented polyurethane was dissolved in tetrahydrofuran at a concentration of 10%, and subjected to electrospinning under the conditions of a liquid sending speed of 3 ml / hr, an electric field distance of 30 cm, and an applied voltage of 30 kV. The product deposited on the collector was observed by a scanning electron microscope to form a nonwoven fabric made of fibers having a micrometer-scale outer diameter (1 μm to 10 μm) as shown in FIG. Some of the fibers were fused with other fibers to form crosslink points. This means that the produced nonwoven fabric is rich in elasticity.
[0039]
When the formed segmented polyurethane nonwoven fabric was collected from the collector and subjected to a tensile test, the segmented polyurethane sheet created by a method not using electrospinning showed elasticity that was about several times higher than that of the segmented polyurethane sheet, and was a durable and flexible sheet. Was formed.
[0040]
[Example 2] Production of medical material using photogelled gelatin
Photogelled gelatin having a styrene group introduced therein is dissolved in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol at a concentration of 2.5 to 12.5% together with 1% of camphorquinone, and the liquid sending rate Electrospinning was performed under the conditions of 3 ml / hr, an electric field distance of 10 cm, and an applied voltage of 12 kV. When observed by a scanning electron microscope, the product deposited on the collector formed a nonwoven fabric composed of fibers having an outer diameter of several tens to several hundreds of nanometers as shown in FIG.
[0041]
When the concentration of the photogelated gelatin was 5%, a form in which beads were threaded, that is, a so-called necklace-like fiber was formed. At 7.5%, fibers having different thicknesses were formed (thickness: 10 to 500 nm). At 10.0%, a fiber having a thickness of 100 nm to 5 μm was formed.
[0042]
Thus, it was possible to control the diameter of the fiber to be formed by changing the concentration of the photogelled gelatin. When fibers with different diameters are aggregated to form a nonwoven fabric, the characteristics of the expression functions such as cell adhesion behavior and drug sustained release behavior are spatially disproportionated and diversified due to the uneven distribution of fiber diameters. Has the effect of doing so.
[0043]
In addition, a non-woven fabric made of photogelled gelatin nanofibers and containing camfaquinone was applied at 60 mW / cm. ² Upon irradiation with strong visible light, the nonwoven fabric gelled and showed water insolubility.
[0044]
[Example 3] Production of medical material using collagen
Collagen was dissolved in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol and electrospun under the conditions of a liquid sending speed of 3 ml / hr, an electric field distance of 15 cm, and an applied voltage of 25 kV. When observed by a scanning electron microscope, the product deposited on the collector formed a nonwoven fabric made of fibers having a micrometer-scale outer diameter (1 μm to 10 μm) as shown in FIG.
[0045]
[Example 4] Production of medical materials using two types of polymers
Segmented polyurethane and photo-gelled gelatin, or photo-gelled gelatin and collagen, respectively, from the two syringes as shown in FIG. 2 under the operating conditions described in Examples 1, 2, and 3 on the same collector at the same time Was electrospun toward. At that time, different fluorescent dyes were previously mixed in trace amounts in different types of polymer solutions to be injected. As a result, when the formed nonwoven fabric was observed with a confocal laser microscope, a mesh structure in which nanofibers of different polymers interpenetrated was formed.
[0046]
[Example 5] Production of a medical material having a three-layer structure using three types of polymers
Under the operating conditions described in Examples 1, 2, and 3, segmented polyurethane, photogelled gelatin, and collagen were sequentially electrospun from different syringes onto the same collector as shown in FIG. Was. At that time, different fluorescent dyes were previously mixed in trace amounts in different types of polymer solutions to be injected. As a result, when the formed nonwoven fabric was observed with a confocal laser microscope, a mesh structure in which different polymer nanofibers were sequentially laminated was formed (FIG. 9). In FIG. 9, the fluorescence of the lower layer disappears when it is covered with the upper layer, which clearly indicates that the nonwoven fabric is laminated. This can be confirmed by observing a cross-sectional image that it has a three-layer structure (FIG. 9).
[0047]
[Example 6] Production of artificial blood vessel
According to the methods of Examples 4 and 5, collagen, photogelled gelatin, and segmentation were directed toward a metal shaft (1 to 3 mm in diameter) that rotates while reciprocating at an arbitrary speed in the axial direction as shown in FIG. The polyurethane was mixed or laminated electrospun. Thereafter, when the mixed / laminated nano-microfiber nonwoven fabric was extracted from the shaft, an artificial blood vessel showing supple elasticity was produced. This artificial blood vessel had a hierarchical structure as shown in FIG. In other words, the nano-microfiber layer of collagen acting as a cell-adhesive matrix in the lumen, the nano-microfiber layer of photogelled gelatin that stores physiologically active properties in the intermediate layer and can be slowly released in aqueous solution, A functional artificial blood vessel having a segmented polyurethane nano-microfiber layer as a highly elastic support skeleton was formed on the outer layer.
[0048]
[Example 7] Construction of artificial blood vessel in which cells were fixed
When the vascular endothelial cells collected from the umbilical vein wall of the human were seeded on the artificial blood vessel prepared in Example 6, the vascular endothelial cells adhered well on the inner surface layer having collagen nano-microfibers. did. That is, a functional artificial blood vessel in which vascular endothelial cells were adhered and fixed to the inner wall could be constructed (FIG. 10). When cells were fluorescently labeled with a fluorescent dye DiO, green fluorescence was emitted (FIG. 10).
[0049]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, there is provided a non-woven medical material produced using medical polymer fibers. The medical material of the present invention is provided with multifunctionality and high functionality. Thus, for example, nano-microfibers of enhanced elastic properties and different biopolymers / synthetic polymers are useful for artificial blood vessels. Optimization of various characteristics that enable the instrumentation in the present invention can be achieved by setting the type of polymer and the spinning conditions during electrospinning. The artificial blood vessel of the present invention is also useful as a basic material of another artificial blood vessel, for example, a hybrid artificial blood vessel.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an electrospinning apparatus.
FIG. 2 shows the mixing of nanofibers by electrospinning using two jets.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing lamination of nanofibers by electrospinning using two jets.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of a method for producing a tube made of nanofibers mixed and laminated using two jets.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a hierarchical structure design of an artificial blood vessel wall using a laminated nanofiber mesh.
FIG. 6 is a scanning electron micrograph of a segmented polyurethane microfiber.
FIG. 7 is a scanning electron micrograph of the electrospun product of photogelled gelatin.
FIG. 8 is a scanning electron micrograph showing collagen nano and micro fibers.
FIG. 9 is a view showing a production example of laminated nano and micro fibers.
FIG. 10 is a scanning electron micrograph showing an example of producing an artificial blood vessel using a laminated nano-micron fiber mesh, and a fluorescence micrograph of vascular endothelial cells seeded on the inner surface thereof.

Claims (14)

A medical material including a non-woven fabric made using medical polymer fibers having an outer diameter of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers. A medical material comprising at least two layers of a nonwoven fabric produced using medical polymer fibers having an outer diameter of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers. 3. The medical material according to claim 1, wherein the medical polymer is a natural polymer and / or a synthetic polymer. 4. The natural polymer is at least one selected from the group consisting of collagen, gelatin, proteoglycan, dextran, chitin, chitosan, silk, hyaluronic acid, albumin, elastin, nucleic acid, heparin and heparan sulfate, or a derivative thereof. The described medical material. Synthetic polymers are polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polylactide, polyglutamic acid, poly-ε-caprolactone, poly-p-dioxane, poly α-malic acid and poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid, and polylactic acid and polycaprolactone. The medical material according to claim 3, which is at least one selected from the group consisting of a copolymer. Synthetic polymer is polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyester, polyethylene glycol, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, poly-N-isopropylacrylamide, polyvinyl chloride The medical material according to claim 3, which is at least one selected from the group consisting of polymethyl methacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, polyallylsulfone, and polysulfone. 3. The medical material according to claim 1, wherein the medical polymer is at least one selected from the group consisting of collagen, gelatin and polyurethane. 3. The medical material according to claim 1, wherein the medical polymer is collagen, gelatin and polyurethane. Medical material is artificial neural tube, artificial esophagus, artificial trachea, artificial blood vessel, artificial valve, artificial chest wall, artificial pericardium, artificial diaphragm, artificial peritoneum, artificial ligament, artificial tendon, artificial cornea, artificial skin, artificial joint, artificial joint Cartilage, dental materials, surgical sutures, surgical prostheses, surgical reinforcements, wound protection materials, fracture bonding materials, contact lenses, intraocular lenses, meshes, medical non-woven fabrics, infusion / blood bags, tubes, surgical The medical material according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is used for gloves, gowns, sheets, or filters. The medical material according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is used for an artificial blood vessel. An artificial blood vessel in which a nonwoven fabric made using medical polymer fibers having an outer diameter of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers is laminated in at least two layers. The artificial blood vessel according to claim 11, wherein the medical polymer is collagen, gelatin, or polyurethane. A method for producing an artificial blood vessel, comprising laminating at least two layers of a nonwoven fabric made of medical polymer fibers having an outer diameter of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the medical polymer is collagen, gelatin and polyurethane.

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