THIS GRANT IS TO DEVELOP A THROMBORESISTANT, HEPARINIZED BLOOD COMPATIBLE MATERIAL.

THIS GRANT IS TO DEVELOP A THROMBORESISTANT, HEPARINIZED BLOOD COMPATIBLE MATERIAL. THE GRANTEE WILL TEST BLOOD MATERIAL SURFACE INTERACTIONS AND COMPATIBILITY. IN IMPROVING THE THROMBORESISTANCE OF HEPARINIZED SURFACES, THE COVALENT-BONDED HEPARIN SHOULD POSSESS ENOUGH MOBILITY THAT GIVES ITSELF THE SAME MOLECULAR SHAPE AND SIZE AS IT DOES IN A FREELY-SOLUBLE STATE. TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS, A CONVENTIONAL COVALENTLY-BONDED HEPARINIZED STYRENE-BUTADIENESTYRENE BLOCK COPOLYMER WILL BE SYNTHESIZED AS THE CONTROL. THE PROPOSED MATERIAL HAS THE SAME STRUCTURE AS THE CONTROL EXCEPT HYDROPHILLIC POLYMER CHAIN IS INSERTED BETWEEN THE POLYMER SURFACE AND THE PENDENT HEPARIN TO GIVE THE DESIRED MOBILITY. THE LENGHT OF THE POLYMER CHAIN CAN BE PRECISELY CONTROLLED BY LIVING POLYMERIZATION. POLY(OXYETHYLENE) HAS BEEN CHOSEN AS THE HYDROPHILLIC CHAIN. IT GIVES PENDENT HEPARIN MOBILITY AND ALSO ACTS AS A HYDROGEL REDUCING THE ABSORPTION OF BLOOD COMPONENTS.