A new resorbable device for ligation of blood vessels - A pilot study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>During surgery, controlled haemostasis to prevent blood loss is vital for a successful outcome. It can be difficult to ligate vessels located deep in the abdomen. A device that is easy to use and enables secure ligatures could be beneficial. Cable ties made of nylon have been used for ligation but the non-resorbable material caused tissue reactions. The objective of this study was to use a resorbable material to construct a device with a self-locking mechanism and to test its mechanical strength and ligation efficiency.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The device was manufactured by injection moulding of polydioxanone, a resorbable polymer used for suture materials. Polydioxanone with inherent viscosities of 1.9 dL/g and 1.3 dL/g were tested. The device consisted of a perforated flexible band which could be pulled through a case with a locking mechanism. After a first version of the device had been tested, some improvements were made. The locking case was downsized, corners were rounded off, the band was made thicker and the mould was redesigned to produce longer devices. Tensile tests were performed with the second version.</p> <p>The first version of the device was used to ligate the ovarian pedicle in a euthanized dog and to test echogenicity of the device with ultrasound. Compression of vessels of the ovarian pedicle was examined by histology. Both versions of the device were tested for haemostasis of and tissue grip on renal arteries in six anaesthetised pigs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The tensile strength of the flexible band of the devices with inherent viscosity of 1.9 dL/g was 50.1 ± 5.5 N (range 35.2-62.9 N, <it>n </it>= 11) and the devices with inherent viscosity of 1.3 dL/g had a tensile strength of 39.8 ± 8.1 N (range 18.6-54.2 N, <it>n </it>= 11). Injection moulding of the polymer with lower inherent viscosity resulted in a longer flow distance.</p> <p>Both versions of the device had an effective tissue grip and complete haemostasis of renal arteries was verified. The device attached to the ovarian pedicle could be seen with ultrasound, and vessel compression and occlusion were verified by histology.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Tests of functionality of the device showed complete haemostasis and good tissue grip. Devices with a band of sufficient length were easily applied and tightened in tissue.</p

Functional Cyclic Carbonate Monomers and Polycarbonates : Synthesis and Biomaterials Applications

The present work describes a selection of strategies for the synthesis of functional aliphatic polycarbonates. Using an end-group functionalization strategy, a series of DNA-binding cationic poly(trimethylene carbonate)s was synthesized for application as vectors for non-viral gene delivery. As the end-group functionality was identical in all polymers, the differences observed in DNA binding and in vitro transfection studies were directly related to the length of the hydrophobic poly(trimethylene carbonate) backbone and the number of functional end-groups. This enabled the use of this polymer system to explore the effects of structural elements on the gene delivery ability of cationic polymers, revealing striking differences between different materials, related to functionality and cationic charge density. In an effort to achieve more flexibility in the synthesis of functional polymers, polycarbonates were synthesized in which the functionalities were distributed along the polymer backbone. Through polymerization of a series of alkyl halide-functional six-membered cyclic carbonates, semicrystalline chloro- and bromo-functional homopolycarbonates were obtained. The tendency of the materials to form crystallites was related to the presence of alkyl as well as halide functionalities and ranged from polymers that crystallized from the melt to materials that only crystallized on precipitation from a solution. Semicrystallinity was also observed for random 1:1 copolymers of some of the monomers with trimethylene carbonate, suggesting a remarkable ability of repeating units originating from these monomers to form crystallites. For the further synthesis of functional monomers and polymers, azide-functional cyclic carbonates were synthesized from the bromo-functional monomers. These were used as starting materials for the click synthesis of triazole-functional cyclic carbonate monomers through Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition. The click chemistry strategy proved to be a viable route to obtain structurally diverse monomers starting from a few azide-functional precursors. This paves the way for facile synthesis of a wide range of novel functional cyclic carbonate monomers and polycarbonates, limited only by the availability of suitable functional alkynes

Functional Cyclic Carbonate Monomers and Polycarbonates : Synthesis and Biomaterials Applications

The present work describes a selection of strategies for the synthesis of functional aliphatic polycarbonates. Using an end-group functionalization strategy, a series of DNA-binding cationic poly(trimethylene carbonate)s was synthesized for application as vectors for non-viral gene delivery. As the end-group functionality was identical in all polymers, the differences observed in DNA binding and in vitro transfection studies were directly related to the length of the hydrophobic poly(trimethylene carbonate) backbone and the number of functional end-groups. This enabled the use of this polymer system to explore the effects of structural elements on the gene delivery ability of cationic polymers, revealing striking differences between different materials, related to functionality and cationic charge density. In an effort to achieve more flexibility in the synthesis of functional polymers, polycarbonates were synthesized in which the functionalities were distributed along the polymer backbone. Through polymerization of a series of alkyl halide-functional six-membered cyclic carbonates, semicrystalline chloro- and bromo-functional homopolycarbonates were obtained. The tendency of the materials to form crystallites was related to the presence of alkyl as well as halide functionalities and ranged from polymers that crystallized from the melt to materials that only crystallized on precipitation from a solution. Semicrystallinity was also observed for random 1:1 copolymers of some of the monomers with trimethylene carbonate, suggesting a remarkable ability of repeating units originating from these monomers to form crystallites. For the further synthesis of functional monomers and polymers, azide-functional cyclic carbonates were synthesized from the bromo-functional monomers. These were used as starting materials for the click synthesis of triazole-functional cyclic carbonate monomers through Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition. The click chemistry strategy proved to be a viable route to obtain structurally diverse monomers starting from a few azide-functional precursors. This paves the way for facile synthesis of a wide range of novel functional cyclic carbonate monomers and polycarbonates, limited only by the availability of suitable functional alkynes

Quantifying the ion coordination strength in polymer electrolytes

In the progress of implementing solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) into batteries, fundamental understanding of the processes occurring within and in the vicinity of the SPE are required. An important but so far relatively unexplored parameter influencing the ion transport properties is the ion coordination strength. Our understanding of the coordination chemistry and its role for the ion transport is partly hampered by the scarcity of suitable methods to measure this phenomenon. Herein, two qualitative methods and one quantitative method to assess the ion coordination strength are presented, contrasted and discussed for TFSI-based salts of Li+, Na+ and Mg2+ in polyethylene oxide (PEO), poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC). For the qualitative methods, the coordination strength is probed by studying the equilibrium between cation coordination to polymer ligands or solvent molecules, whereas the quantitative method studies the ion dissociation equilibrium of salts in solvent-free polymers. All methods are in agreement that regardless of cation, the strongest coordination strength is observed for PEO, while PTMC exhibits the weakest coordination strength. Considering the cations, the weakest coordination is observed for Mg2+ in all polymers, indicative of the strong ion-ion interactions in Mg(TFSI)(2), whilst the coordination strength for Li+ and Na+ seems to be more influenced by the interplay between the cation charge/radius and the polymer structure. The trends observed are in excellent agreement with previously observed transference numbers, confirming the importance and its connection to the ion transport in SPEs.Correction in: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, vol. 24, issue 5, page 17361DOI: 10.1039/d2cp90117j</p

The Role of Coordination Strength in Solid Polymer Electrolytes: Compositional Dependence of Transference Numbers in thePoly(ε-Caprolactone)–Poly(Trimethylene Carbonate) System

Both polyesters and polycarbonates have been proposed as alternatives to polyethers as host materials for future polymer electrolytes for solid-state lithium-ion batteries. While being comparatively similar functional groups, the electron density on the coordinating carbonyl oxygen is different, thereby rendering different coordinating strength towards lithium ions. In this study, the transport properties of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) and poly(trimethylene carbonate) as well as random copolymers of systematically varied composition of the two have been investigated, in order to better elucidate the role of the coordination strength. The cationic transference number, a property well-connected with the complexing ability of the polymer, was shown to depend almost linearly on the ester content of the copolymer, increasing from 0.49 for the pure poly(epsilon-caprolactone) to 0.83 for pure poly(trimethylene carbonate). Contradictory to the transference number measurements that suggest a stronger lithium-to-ester coordination, DFT calculations showed that the carbonyl oxygen in the carbonate coordinates more strongly to the lithium ion than that of the ester. FT-IR measurements showed the coordination number to be higher in the polyester system, resulting in a higher total coordination strength and thereby resolving the paradox. This likely originates in properties that are specific of polymeric solvent systems, e.g. steric properties and chain dynamics, which influence the coordination chemistry. These results highlight the complexity in polymeric systems and their ion transport properties in comparison to low-molecular-weight analogues, and how polymer structure and steric effects together affect the coordination strength and transport properties

Overcoming the Obstacle of Polymer–Polymer Resistances in Double Layer Solid Polymer Electrolytes

Double-layer solid polymer electrolytes (DLSPEs) comprising one layer that is stable toward lithium metal and one which is stable against a high-voltage cathode are commonly suggested as a promising strategy to achieve high-energy-density lithium batteries. Through in-depth EIS analysis, it is here concluded that the polymer–polymer interface is the primary contributor to electrolyte resistance in such DLSPEs consisting of polyether-, polyester-, or polycarbonate-bad SPEs. In comparison to the bulk ionic resistance, the polymer–polymer interface resistance is approximately 10-fold higher. Nevertheless, the interfacial resistance was successfully lowered by doubling the salt concentration from 25 to 50 wt % LiTFSI owing to improved miscibility at the interface of the two polymer layers

Exploring the use of oligomeric carbonates as porogens and ion-conductors in phase-separated structural electrolytes for Lithium-ion batteries

Phase-separated structural battery electrolytes (SBEs) have the potential to enhance the mechanical stability of the electrolyte while maintaining a high ion conduction. This can be achieved via polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS), which creates a two-phase system with a liquid electrolyte percolating a mesoporous ther-moset. While previous studies have used commercially available liquid electrolytes, this study investigates the use of novel oligomeric carbonates to enhanced the safety of the SBEs. Increasing the carbonate chain length significantly enhances the thermal stability of the SBEs. Tuning the molecular structure of the liquid electrolyte has a significant effect on the PIPS process and SBE morphology. Using a combination of analyses on a series of wet and dried SBEs, the complex interplay between the phases is interpreted. When an increased pore size is achieved, it leads to a lower MacMullin number (NM). A conductivity of 2 x 10-5 S/cm with a NM=13 could be achieved, while maintaining a thermal stability up to 150 degrees C. The present study demonstrates a versatile approach to tailor this type of electrolyte

Micro versus Nano : Impact of Particle Size on the Flow Characteristics of Silicon Anode Slurries

Silicon is interesting for use as a negative electrode material in Li-ion batteries due to its extremely high gravimetric capacity compared with today's state-of-the-art material, graphite. However, during cycling the Si particles suffer from large volume changes, leading to particle cracking, electrolyte decompositions, and electrode disintegration. Although utilizing nm-sized particles can mitigate some of these issues, it would instead be more cost-effective to incorporate mu m-sized silicon particles in the anode. Herein, it is shown that the size of the Si particles not only influences the electrode cycling properties but also has a decisive impact on the processing characteristics during electrode preparation. In water-based slurries and suspensions containing mu m-Si and nm-Si particles, the smaller particles consistently give higher viscosities and more pronounced viscoelastic properties, particularly at low shear rates. This difference is observed even when the Si particles are present as a minor component in blends with graphite. It is found that the viscosity follows the particle volume fraction divided by the particle radius, suggesting that it is dependent on the surface area concentration of the Si particles

Fluorine-Free Electrolytes for Lithium and Sodium Batteries

Fluorinated components in the form of salts, solvents and/or additives are a staple of electrolytes for high-performance Li- and Na-ion batteries, but this comes at a cost. Issues like potential toxicity, corrosivity and environmental concerns have sparked interest in fluorine-free alternatives. Of course, these electrolytes should be able to deliver performance that is on par with the electrolytes being in use today in commercial batteries. This begs the question: Are we there yet? This review outlines why fluorine is regarded as an essential component in battery electrolytes, along with the numerous problems it causes and possible strategies to eliminate it from Li- and Na-ion battery electrolytes. The examples provided demonstrate the possibilities of creating fully fluorine-free electrolytes with similar performance as their fluorinated counterparts, but also that there is still a lot of room for improvement, not least in terms of optimizing the fluorine-free systems independently of their fluorinated predecessors