| 摘要 |
This invention discloses medical bandage devices for venous leg ulcer treatments and long distance travelers on transportations such as trains and planes. The devices utilize the recovery force generated by a shape memory polymer (SMP) or SMP/composite strips to produce a static pressure profile to help blood circulation, hence to speed up the healing process of a venous leg ulcer. The invention discloses the structures of the bandages, which may consist of a single layer or multi-layers, with SMP in sheet or strips form and SMP as a single layer or integrated into fabrics, the structure of the bandage device, and the manufacture methods to produce the SMP-based bandage devices. The stimulus which is used to actuate the SMP may include, but not exclude, heat, UV- or infrared-light, RF microwave, chemical or even water. The SMP may be selected from thermoplastic and thermoset (covalently cross-linked) polymeric materials. Such polymeric materials include polymers based upon polyurethane, polystyrene, polynorbornene, polyethyleneterephthalate, polyethyleneoxide, poly(1,4-butadiene), poly(Tetrahydrofuran) and ABA triblock copolymers made from poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline)-based SMPs and a biodegradable SMP such as oligo-(ε-caprolactone)diol and crystallisable oligo-(&rgr;-dioxanone)diol.
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