SYNTHESIS AND BLOOD COMPATIBILITY EVALUATION OF SEGMENTED POLYURETHANES BASED ON CHOLESTEROL AND PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE ANALOGOUS MOIETIES

New segmented polyurethanes based on cholesterol and phosphatidylcholi ne analogous moieties were synthesized. The soft segments used in this study were the poly(butadiene), poly(isoprene) or hydrogenated poly(i soprene) glycols, the hard segments of these segmented polyurethanes w ere composed of 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate, 2-[bis(2-hydroxye thyl)methylammonio]ethyl 5-cholesten-3 beta-yl phosphate and 1,4-butan ediol. The blood compatibilities of synthesized segmented polyurethane s were evaluated by platelet-rich plasma contact studies and scanning electron microscopy observation using glass as the reference. The resu lts show that the blood compatibilities of the synthesized segmented p olyurethanes have great difference between the glass contact side and air exposed side for the same cast films. Generally, the hydrogenated poly(isoprene)-based segmented polyurethane is the best surface in ter ms of platelet adhesion, and the morphology of adhered platelets under goes the lowest degree of variation among the segmented polyurethanes investigated in this study. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited