Polycarbonate urethane - poly (2-ethyl 2-oxazoline) based electrospun graft material for tympanic membrane...

Tympanic membrane perforation is a common condition that can lead to hearing loss and recurrent infections. Though acute perforations heal spontaneously, chronic perforations require surgical intervention to restore membrane function. Current therapeutic techniques require surgery under anaesthesia and necessitate an incision for collecting graft material when autologous tissue is employed. Therefore, it is essential to find a safer, cost-effective alternative to tympanic membrane perforation treatment that uses non-surgical procedures. This work aims to fabricate a novel, biocompatible, non-degradable, bio-adhesive, and cost-effective scaffold for the treatment of tympanic membrane perforations that mimics the structural and mechanical properties of the native tympanic membrane. Two biocompatible polymers, namely polycarbonate urethane and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), were used as the base materials, and electrospinning was employed as the fabrication technique. The optimised electrospun membrane exhibits a tensile strength of 20.7 ± 3.5 MPa, which falls within the required range of a normal human tympanic membrane. Data from Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) analysis indicate better sound transmission for the developed membrane compared to the control. Its optimum water vapour transmission rate can provide an ideal environment for wound healing. In vitro cell-material interaction studies using mouse fibroblast L929 cells highlight its good biocompatibility and cell-migratory tendency, suggesting potential clinical utilisation.