Polymeric Membranes for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Polymeric membranes are selective materials used in a wide range of applications that require separation processes, from water filtration and purification to industrial separations. Because of these materials' remarkable properties, namely, selectivity, membranes are also used in a wide range of biomedical applications that require separations. Considering the fact that most organs (apart from the heart and brain) have separation processes associated with the physiological function (kidneys, lungs, intestines, stomach, etc.), technological solutions have been developed to replace the function of these organs with the help of polymer membranes. This review presents the main biomedical applications of polymer membranes, such as hemodialysis (for chronic kidney disease), membrane-based artificial oxygenators (for artificial lung), artificial liver, artificial pancreas, and membranes for osseointegration and drug delivery systems based on membranes.

Keywords: artificial organs; biomedical applications; drug delivery; hemodialysis; polymeric membranes; tissue engineering.

Figure 1

Polymeric membrane applications in the biomedical field.

Figure 2

Molecular structures of cellulose and some cellulose derivatives (reproduced with permission after [65]).

Figure 3

(A) Schematic illustration of the PCL/Gel membrane prepared by co-electrospinning technique; (B) SEM images of different PCL/Gel co-electrospinning membranes at various magnifications; and (C) the statistics of fiber size in different co-electrospinning membranes [123].

Figure 4

(a) ECMO system composition diagram; (b) Schematic diagram of common membrane oxygenators; (c) hollow fiber membrane filament for gas and blood exchange; (d) Schematic diagram of blood oxygen exchange principle. (reproduced with permission after [26]).

Figure 5

Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) hollow fiber (HF) membrane bioreactor and scheme of the 3D human hepatic tissue realized by culturing human hepatocytes over and between PCL HF membranes parallel assembled at a distance of 250 µm, and endothelial cells compartmentalized in the lumen of the fibers. The cells were in communication through the porous wall of the membranes (reproduced with permission after [204]).

Figure 6

Schematic of the biofunctional bone scaffold fabrication with LBL self-assembly on electrospun fiber membranes followed by apatite deposition (reproduced with permission after [230]).

Figure 7

Schematic representation of the fabrication of regenerated cellulose nanofiber mats containing HAp and Ag NPs. Sequential steps are shown to describe the various process involved in the fabrication process (reproduced with permission after [235]).

Figure 8

Schematic representation of the reaction sequence for the derivatization of cellulose acetate membranes with resveratrol (reproduced with permission after [238]).