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Fabrication of a Bioactive, PCL-based "Self-fitting" Shape Memory Polymer Scaffold

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Multimaterial Shape Memory Polymer Fibers for Advanced Drug Release Applications.

Xue Wan^1,2, Siyao Chen², Jingqi Ma³

¹Institute of Materials, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.

Advanced Fiber Materials

|September 12, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

New shape memory polymer fibers (SMPFs) fabricated using thermal drawing offer precise, long-term drug delivery and smart functionalities for medical devices. This breakthrough enables advanced implantable systems and smart sutures with enhanced control and integration capabilities.

Keywords:

Drug delivery Multifunctionality Multimaterial fibers Sequential drug release Shape memory polymers

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Microfluidic Fabrication of Polymeric and Biohybrid Fibers with Predesigned Size and Shape

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Published on: January 8, 2014

Area of Science:

Biomaterials Engineering
Polymer Science
Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

Stimuli-responsive polymers are crucial for controlled drug release in implantable systems.
Existing shape memory polymer fibers (SMPFs) have limitations in resolution, architecture, scalability, and functionality.
There is a need for advanced SMPFs enabling precise spatio-temporal drug delivery and integrated functionalities.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce thermal drawing as a platform for fabricating advanced, microstructured, multimaterial SMPFs.
To demonstrate highly controlled, sequential drug release over extended periods (up to 6 months).
To showcase novel functionalities including accelerated drug release, light-triggered shape recovery, and smart suture applications.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of microstructured, multimaterial SMPFs using thermal drawing.
Integration of photothermal coatings for enhanced drug release and shape recovery.
Characterization of fiber properties, drug release kinetics, and shape memory behavior.
Demonstration of self-tightening capabilities for smart suture applications.

Main Results:

Fabricated SMPFs are tens of meters long with high resolution (10 μm) and extreme aspect ratios (>10⁵).
Achieved highly controlled, sequential drug release over tailored periods up to 6 months.
Demonstrated accelerated, spatially precise drug release (within 4 months) and light-triggered shape recovery.
Showcased fast self-tightening capability (within 40 s) for smart suture applications.
Integrated optical and metallic elements for advanced functionalities.

Conclusions:

Thermal drawing is a versatile platform for creating advanced SMPFs with unprecedented control over drug delivery.
These novel SMPFs offer significant advancements for implantable drug delivery systems, smart sutures, and other adaptive medical devices.
The developed technology opens new avenues for precise spatio-temporal control in biomedical applications.