Medical Application of
Polylactic Acid
Introduction :-
Polylactide
also know as Poly lactic acid is Polyester. Chemical formula for PLA is
(C3H4O2)n or
[-C(CH3)HC(=O)O–]n
It is synthesized
from lactic acid (LA; 2-hydroxypropanoic acid), which a water-soluble monomer.
Main property of PLA is its degradation by micro-organism, which make its more
special. The use of such biodegradable plastic reduces the environmental impact
related to the accumulation of non-biodegradable plastic wastes that are
generated from its day-to-day use.
PLA has an
extensive mechanical property profile and is thermoplastic with high
biocompatibility and biodegradability.
PLA was
discovered in the 1920s by Wallace Corothers the scientist who invented
nylon, but it never had been successfully commercialized on a large scale.
Application of Polytlactic
acid
These are
mostly used in food packaging, transportation, and single use disposable
plastic.
In many
applications bio degradable plastic can replace synthetic plastic, but have
some challenges.
Many
biodegradable plastics are designed to degrade in industrial composting systems.
A 2009
study found that the use of biodegradable plastics was financially viable only
in the context of specific regulations which limit the usage of conventional
plastics
Plastic
items labelled as 'biodegradable', but that only break down into smaller pieces
like micro plastics, or into smaller units that are not
biodegradable, are not an improvement over conventional plastic
Medical application of Polylactic acid: -
While PLA has modern industrial
uses, including textiles and packaging, it has emerged as a pertinent material
for bioengineering. Relevant medical applications may vary from tissue
engineering regenerative medicine to
orthopedic, cardiac, and dental uses.
The innate
characteristics of PLA lend itself to rapid prototyping and
efficient manufacturing in 3D printed constructs. This can be implemented to
generate patient-specific tissue engineering scaffolds or
rapidly manufacture medical equipment, such as the personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to keep healthcare workers safe during the
Covid-19 pandemic.
· Tissue Engineeing :-
Oxygen enters the microcapsule through the membrane wall and is combined with hemoglobin so that that the hemoglobin is able to transport oxygen. PLA is used as membrane material.
· Drug Delivery :-
PLA copolymers is used to prepare PLA–PEG–PLA microspheres containing paclitaxel. The prepared microspheres were uniform in size and had a porous structure inside that promoted drug release.
· Implant :-
With respect to biological safety and the characteristics of metabolites, polylactic acid is considered to be an advantageous material in comparison to copolymers such as polyglycolic acid and polycaprolactone.
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