The biocompatibility of various polymers is improved by blending with them a polymer including a zwitterionic group. The zwitterionic group is usually an ammonium phosphate ester zwitterionic group and the polymer containing it may be produced by the free radical polymerisation of ethylenically unsaturated monomers including a monomer bearing the zwitterionic group. Blending of the two polymers may be achieved by dry blending particulate polymers or by mixing the polymers in liquid dispersion or solution followed by removal of the liquid medium. The fibrinogen absorption and/or platelet activation of polymers may be reduced to a value of less than 80% or even less than 60% of the base polymer by introducing amounts of more than 10% or mare than 30% of the zwitterionic group containing polymer. Preferred blends are of copolymers of 2-(methacryloyloxyethyl)-2'-(trimethylammonium)ethyl phosphate inner salt with higher alkyl (meth) acrylate, blended with olefin polymers and/or with rubber latices. The products may be used in medical devices in which they come into contact with bodily fluids, especially blood, plasma, serum and/or tear film.
通过与含有一个双离子基团的聚合物混合,可以提高各种聚合物的
生物相容性。双离子基团通常是一种酸酐
磷酸酯双离子基团,含有该基团的聚合物可以通过自由基聚合
乙烯基不饱和单体(包括含有该双离子基团的单体)制得。两种聚合物的混合可以通过干混颗粒聚合物或在液体分散或溶液中混合聚合物,然后去除液体介质来实现。通过引入超过10%或超过30%双离子基团含量的聚合物,可以将聚合物的
纤维蛋白原吸收和/或血小板活化降低到低于基础聚合物的80%甚至低于60%的值。首选混合物是2-(甲基
丙烯酰氧乙基)-2'-(三甲基
铵)
乙基磷酸内盐与较高烷基(甲基)
丙烯酸酯的共聚物,与烯烃聚合物和/或橡胶乳液混合。产品可用于与体液(尤其是血液、血浆、血清和/或泪液)接触的医疗器械中。