ISSN:
0021-9304
Keywords:
Chemistry
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Medicine
,
Technology
Notes:
Mathematical models are used to predict surface concentrations that result from the release of heparin into flowing blood and stagnant or well-mixed plasma. Two release rates - 4 × 10-2 and 3 × 10-5 μg/cm2 min-are considered, which describe elution from an ionically heparinized material and from an immobilized heparin-PVA hydrogel, respectively. When heparin is released at the higher rate into blood flowing in cylindrical tubes with dimensions characteristic of the vasculature, or annular tubes representative of catheter experiments, a minium surface concentration of 0.5 μg/mL is attained virtually at the tube inlet. Release at the lower rate requires tube lengths of several thousand meters to attain the same critical value. Similarly, heparin released from a suspension of beads at the higher rate leads to critical surface concentrations of 0.2 μg/mL within a fraction of a second in stagnant plasma, or ca. 5 s in a well-mixed environment. At the lower release rate, 45 or 100 min must elapse before the same level is achieved. These results support the validity of 4 × 10-2 μg/cm2 min as a reasonable minimum release rate to produce a heparin microenvironment sufficient to prevent thrombosis. The lower rate is shown to be insufficient to generate a critical concentration, thus supporting the argument that heparin-PVA does not owe its biological activity to a heparin microenvironment. The model equations can be applied to the release of any material to determine surface concentrations.
Additional Material:
3 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbm.820170310
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