Shape-Memory Polymer Device Design

Shape-Memory Polymer Device Design discusses the latest shape-memory polymers and the ways they have started to transition out of the academic laboratory and into devices and commercial products. Safranski introduces the properties of shape-memory polymers and presents design principles for designing and manufacturing, providing a guide for the R&D engineer/scientist and design engineer to add the shape memory effect of polymers into their design toolbox.

This is the first book to focus on applying basic science knowledge to design practical devices, introducing the concept of shape-memory polymers, the history of their use, and the range of current applications. It details the specific design principles for working with shape-memory polymers that don't often apply to mechanically inactive materials and products.

Material selection is thoroughly discussed because chemical structure and thermo-mechanical properties are intrinsically linked to shape-memory performance. Further chapters discuss programming the temporary shape and recovery through a variety of activation methods with real world examples. Finally, current devices across a variety of markets are highlighted to show the breadth of possible applications.

• Demystifies shape-memory polymers, providing a guide to their properties and design principles
• Explores a range of current and emerging applications across sectors, including biomedical, aerospace/automotive, and consumer goods
• Places shape-memory polymers in the design toolkit of R&D scientists/engineers and design engineers
• Discusses material selection in-depth because chemical structure and thermo-mechanical properties are intrinsically linked to shape-memory performance

David L. Safranski, Ph.D., is the Director of Basic Research at MedShape, Inc., an Atlanta-based orthopaedic device company. His current research focuses on both the basic science and translational aspects of designing shape-memory polymers and textiles for medical applications. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on shape-memory polymers and functional biomaterials and holds several patents around shape-memory polymers and devices. Dr. Safranski received his Ph.D. from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he also serves as an adjunct faculty member.

Jack C. Griffis III, M.S., is the Senior Vice President of Advanced Research and Technology at MedShape, Inc., an Atlanta-based orthopaedic device company. He is the recipient of five national design excellence awards in medical device engineering and has cleared more than 50 different medical technologies with the FDA. In 2013, he was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors, and has been awarded 39 US patents in biomedical technologies. Mr. Griffis received his M.S. in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.