Polyurethane scaffold formation via a combination of salt leaching and thermally induced phase separation

Porous scaffolds have been made from two polyurethanes based on thermally induced phase separation of polymer dissolved in a DMSO/water mixture in combination with salt leaching. It is possible to obtain very porous foams with a very high interconnectivity. A major advantage of this method is that variables like porosity, pore size, and interconnectivity can be independently adjusted with the absence of toxic materials in the production process. The obtained compression moduli were between 200 kPa and 1 MPa with a variation in porosity between 76 and 84%. Currently the biological and medical aspects are under evaluation. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 87A: 921-932, 2008