Biocompatible & Bioresorbable Fibers
Functional / Medical-Grade Body-Safe Materials (生物相容纤维)
Quick Facts
| Type | Functional / medical fiber; designed to safely interact with biological systems — either inert (permanent implant) or resorbable (degrades in the body over time) |
| Biocompatible (permanent) | PET (Dacron® vascular grafts, heart valve sewing rings), PTFE (Gore-Tex® surgical patches, vascular grafts), UHMWPE (orthopedic sutures, ligament repair), PP (hernia mesh), stainless steel/nickel-titanium (stents, orthopedic wires) |
| Bioresorbable (degradable) | PLA, PLGA (Vicryl® sutures — hydrolyzes to lactic/glycolic acid, absorbed in 60–90 days), PDS (polydioxanone — absorbs in 180–210 days), collagen (natural, enzymatic degradation), chitosan (natural polysaccharide, antimicrobial + resorbable), PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate — bacterial polyester, fully resorbable) |
| Regulatory | FDA 510(k) or PMA (US); CE Mark (EU); ISO 10993 biocompatibility testing; the highest regulatory bar of any textile application |
Properties
| Property | Rating | Engineering implication |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | ★★★★★ | Must pass cytotoxicity, sensitization, irritation, genotoxicity, and implantation testing (ISO 10993); zero tolerance for adverse biological response |
| Controlled degradation (resorbable) | ★★★★★ | Degradation rate engineered to match tissue healing time; PLGA: 60–90 days; PDS: 180–210 days; the defining engineering parameter for resorbables |
| Sterilizability | ★★★★★ | Must withstand ethylene oxide (EtO), gamma radiation, or steam autoclave without degradation; the first processing decision after manufacturing |
Applications
| Application | Form | Key criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical sutures (resorbable) | PLGA (Vicryl®), PDS, collagen; multifilament braid | Degrades as wound heals; no suture removal needed; the dominant resorbable fiber application |
| Vascular grafts (permanent) | PET (Dacron®) or ePTFE (Gore-Tex®) woven/knitted tube | Replaces diseased blood vessels; body tissue grows into porous structure; lifelong implant |
| Tissue engineering scaffolds | PLA, PLGA, collagen, chitosan; electrospun nanofiber mat | Cells seeded onto biodegradable scaffold → tissue grows → scaffold degrades → new tissue remains; regenerative medicine frontier |
| Hernia repair mesh | PP or PET knitted mesh (permanent); or PLA/PLGA (resorbable) | Mechanical support for abdominal wall repair; resorbable versions eliminate long-term foreign body complications |
Summary
Biocompatible and bioresorbable fibers are the highest-stakes textile materials — implanted in the human body, where failure means patient harm. Regulatory requirements, controlled degradation, and sterilizability are the defining engineering constraints, not cost or aesthetics. See the Textile Material framework.