I-Corps: Translation Potential of an Elastomeric Low-Friction Fluoropolymer Alternative for the Medical Device Industry

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is the development of a new medical polymer possessing a unique and rare combination of elastic-like durability and gel-like lubrication properties. These new hydrogel elastomers have the potential for broad impact across the U.S. healthcare and medical device industries. Their utility as both a low-friction, durable structural design material and as a bio-inert surface coating alternative makes them relevant in a wide range of new and existing medical device technologies. To avoid environmentally damaging perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) substances, the need for new, low friction, durable polymer alternatives has become more acute. This technology is in a prime position to fill an emerging void in the biomedical materials landscape. The potential broader impact can be extended to new tools, ranging from complex surgical instruments and implant technologies to simple wound care dressings and medical tubing. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. The solution is based on the development of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) hydrogels possessing the necessary durability, elasticity, wear resistance, biostability, and biocompatibility to be considered as structural materials in medical device design. These materials were engineered to exhibit intrinsic surface lubricity at a range of material durometers while remaining perfluoroalkyl substance- (PFAS) and fluoropolymer-free. TPEs are key components in a broad range of medical devices, but there is a critical need for low friction lubricity at the exposed surface to minimize interactions with biological tissues. Existing TPE materials lack such lubricity, and biomedical device designers are forced to depend on expensive and complex hydrophilic surface treatments or on the use of hydrophobic, fluoropolymer liners or resin coatings to achieve low surface friction and biological surface passivation. Hydrogel based materials, with their intrinsic lubricity and tendency to suppress bioactivation, have been touted as possible players in such devices, and the hydrogel material technology this project explores would be one of the first on the market that can meet the durability demands required in most product applications. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.