ASSOCIATION OF POLYACRYLAMIDE BEADS TO POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE PROSTHESES

A method for the coupling of polyacrylamide beads to polyethylene tere phtalate (PET) vascular prostheses is described. The reactionnal proce dure used is performed along several steps ; acrylic acid grafting on PET textile fibres, in order to introduce reactive carboxylic groups, introduction of terminal primary amine groups onto the beads, and then , attachment method which consists in coupling carboxylic groups of pr ostheses with amine groups of modified beads. The relative weight incr ease of the samples before and after the coupling reaction and, micros copic observations of beads distribution onto the prostheses surface d emonstrate the binding feasibility of polyacrylamide matrices to PET p rostheses. In the near future, authors expect to replace these beads b y microcapsules with polyacrylamide wall and containing active compoun ds to improve the vascular prostheses biocompatibility.