Medical Polyurethane with Improved Biocompatibility Treated by the Ion Implantation Method.

Medical polyurethane samples were treated by 20 keV nitrogen ions and implanted into the body of laboratory rats. One month later, all samples were removed. The histological analysis has shown that the average thickness of the connective tissue capsule decreases from 117 µm (untreated polyurethane) to 14 µm (treated polyurethane) (p<0.01). The average number of neutrophils normalized to the implant body tissue interface length decreases from 5.21 cells / mm (untreated polyurethane) to 1.38 cells / mm (treated polyurethane) (p<0.05). The average number of eosinophils, normalized to the implant body tissue interface length decreases from 7.62 cells / mm (untreated polyurethane) to 0.61 cells / mm (treated polyurethane) (p <0.05). It has been found that the tissue reaction of rats implanted with polyurethane samples for a period of one month reduces significantly by means of ion implantation. It is shown that the ion implantation technique can be used to create soft tissue implants without the need for immunosuppressants that suppress the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]