New Biomaterials Can Be ‘Fine-Tuned’ for Medical Applications

Researchers have succeeded in fine-tuning a new thermoplastic biomaterial to enable both the rate at which it degrades in the body and its mechanical properties to be controlled independently. The material, a type of polyester, has been designed for use in soft tissue repair or flexible bioelectronics by a team at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and at Duke University in the United States.