Mingjing Yang

TL;DR: The results of the study demonstrated that the rate of water transmission through the four polycarbonate urethane membranes was significantly lower than through the two polyether urethanes, and showed that additional impermeability to water vapor can be achieved by selecting a polyurethane polymer with a high hard segment content, an aromatic rather than aliphatic diisocyanate comonomer, and a more hydrophobic surface.

TL;DR: The degree of calcification was found to be associated with the surface chemistry of the particular polyurethane, with the Tecothane TT1074A exhibiting the highest level and the Corethane 80A and 55D polymers showed a relatively low propensity to calcify.

TL;DR: Findings suggest that water transmission through a polyurethane membrane is dominated by a diffusion process rather than by bulk convection.

TL;DR: It does not seem possible to establish a rigorous protocol of cleaning, sterilization, and inspection to guarantee a safer reuse of single-use intraaortic balloon devices, as most of the used IABs examined in this study maintained physical and mechanical properties similar to those of the virgin devices.