Importance

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Abstract

Porous polymers having a plurality of openings or chambers that are highly convoluted, with each chamber being defined by multiple, thin, flat partitions are produced by a new gel enhanced phase separation technique. In a preferred embodiment, a second solvent is added to a polymer solution, the second solvent causing the solution to gel. The gel can then be shaped as needed. Subsequent solvent extraction leaves the porous polymeric body of defined shape. The porous polymers have utility as medical prostheses, the porosity permitting ingrowth of neighboring tissue. A second polymer material may be incorporated into the chambers, thereby creating a microstructure filling the voids of the macrostructure. A porous polymeric body manufactured by this process may serve to deliver biologically active agents in a time-staged delivery manner, where differing drugs may be delivered over differing periods.

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First Claim