BIO-COMPATIBLE POLYMERIC MATERIALS

摘要

A method of making a medical device or part thereof includes a step of forming a porous layer on the outside of a support material, wherein the porous layer is, in preferred embodiments, selected from polyetherketone and polyetheretherketone. The porous layer may be prepared in a method which includes treating a region on the outside of a support material to render it porous and such treatment may involve diffusing a supercritical fluid into the polymer to render it porous or using a solvent to dissolve polymer at the surface, followed by subsequent precipitation at the surface. Alternatively, a material which is arranged to be porous may be applied to the support material wherein such a porous material may be a foam. In a further alternative, a material may be rendered porous after it has been contacted with the support material for example by virtue of it comprising a removable material for example a salt. Medical devices and methods of making such devices are also described.