Polymers in Biology and Medicine
J.M. Anderson, in Polymer Science: A Comprehensive Reference, 2012
Abstract
Biocompatibility is the most commonly used term to describe appropriate biological requirements of a biomaterial or biomaterials used in a medical device. Biocompatibility has also been described as the ability of a material to perform with an appropriate host response in a specific application. Biocompatibility or safety evaluation addresses the identification of an appropriate host response. The goal of this chapter is to provide a pathway or roadmap for the practical approach to the identification of biocompatibility and/or safety. This chapter discusses biocompatibility, materials for medical devices, and in vitro and in vivo tests for biocompatibility. It also discusses inflammation, wound healing, and the foreign body reaction; hemocompatibility; and immune responses in detail.