Development of novel polymers for acoustic gelation

Abstract

Chronic venous disease is a prevalent type of vascular disease occurring mainly in the limbs. Though not fatal, it can cause severe pain and discomfort in the patients. Current treatment methods ranging from invasive surgical procedures to minimally invasive laser therapy has its associated risks and side-effects. The project aims to develop High Intensity Focused Ultrasound(HIFU) based treatment which is safer and more efficient. The study focuses on developing stimulus-responsive polymer system that will undergo instantaneous gelation in the presence of the HIFU exposure. The gelation behavior was observed at different conditions such as temperature and varied acoustic pressures, to quantify the most effective copolymer system and acoustic parameters for the gel synthesis.