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Polymers
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Polymers for Biomedical Engineering and Clinical Innovation
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Polymers for Biomedical Engineering and Clinical Innovation

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 1305

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Luigi Manfredi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Imaging and Technology, School of Medicine, Institute for Medical Science and Technology (IMSaT), University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
Interests: endoscopic robots; shape memory alloy actuators; soft robots; control hardware; bio-inspired robots
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Polymers are essential in modern biomedical engineering, offering flexible, biocompatible, and cost-effective solutions to address a wide range of clinical needs. This Special Issue aims to bring together recent advances in polymer science and technology that enable innovation in healthcare, from diagnosis and therapy to surgical and interventional applications.

We welcome original research articles, communications, and comprehensive reviews covering the design, synthesis, and characterization of polymers for medical devices, implants, prosthetics, drug delivery, soft robotics, tissue-mimicking materials, and minimally invasive technologies. Studies on polymer-based sensors, functional coatings, additive manufacturing, and sustainable or recyclable materials for healthcare are also encouraged.

The goal of this Special Issue is to provide a multidisciplinary platform connecting materials science, engineering, and clinical practice and highlight how polymer-based solutions can enhance patient care, improve device ergonomics, and support the transition toward more sustainable and effective medical technologies.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Dr. Luigi Manfredi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomedical polymers
  • medical devices and implants
  • soft robotics and flexible sensors
  • additive manufacturing and 3D printing
  • clinical innovation and minimally invasive technologies
  • polymers tissue-mimicking materials
  • endoscopy
  • biomaterials

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1781 KB  
Article
Design and Characterisation of a Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Tissue-Mimicking Polymer Phantom for Quantitative Shear Wave Elastography Validation
by Wadhhah Aldehani, Sarah Louise Savaridas, Cheng Wei and Luigi Manfredi
Polymers 2026, 18(7), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18070797 - 26 Mar 2026
Viewed by 622
Abstract
A polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based tissue-mimicking polymer phantom was developed and mechanically characterised to replicate stiffness ranges relevant to breast elastography and to provide a controlled platform for evaluating shear wave elastography (SWE) measurements. SWE provides quantitative stiffness information that complements B-mode ultrasound in [...] Read more.
A polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based tissue-mimicking polymer phantom was developed and mechanically characterised to replicate stiffness ranges relevant to breast elastography and to provide a controlled platform for evaluating shear wave elastography (SWE) measurements. SWE provides quantitative stiffness information that complements B-mode ultrasound in breast imaging. However, measurement variability related to operator technique and tissue continues to limit confidence in clinical interpretation. This study evaluates the reproducibility of SWE using custom-fabricated PVC-based breast phantoms with mechanically defined stiffness properties. Two PVC-based breast phantoms with identical geometry and different background stiffnesses were scanned using a single ultrasound system under a fixed SWE protocol. Each phantom contained four embedded inclusions representing clinically relevant stiffness categories. Six breast imagers independently acquired repeated SWE measurements in transverse and longitudinal planes, blinded to lesion identity and ground truth. Inter-operator reproducibility was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients, and was high across both phantom backgrounds, with low intra-operator variability following quality assurance exclusion of one dataset due to sampling error. Measurement variability was lowest for solid inclusions and increased for the cyst-like inclusion in the stiffer background. SWE measurements consistently preserved the relative stiffness ordering of inclusions, although absolute values differed systematically from mechanically derived ground-truth stiffness. These findings demonstrate that PVC-based polymer phantoms provide a stable and reproducible platform for evaluating SWE measurement behaviour under controlled conditions. By isolating operator and acquisition effects from biological variability, this polymer-based framework supports methodological standardisation and structured operator training in breast elastography. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers for Biomedical Engineering and Clinical Innovation)
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Review

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30 pages, 3667 KB  
Review
Functional Chitosan-Interpenetrating Networks: Next Generation Super-Adsorbents for Biomedical Applications
by Khushi Verma, Lalita Chopra and Carlo Santulli
Polymers 2026, 18(11), 1282; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111282 - 23 May 2026
Viewed by 303
Abstract
Chitosan-based interpenetrating networks (IPNs) have become highly attractive as advanced super-adsorbent materials due to their ability to combine a high density of functional adsorption sites with enhanced structural stability under physiological conditions. While chitosan offers intrinsic advantages such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and chemical [...] Read more.
Chitosan-based interpenetrating networks (IPNs) have become highly attractive as advanced super-adsorbent materials due to their ability to combine a high density of functional adsorption sites with enhanced structural stability under physiological conditions. While chitosan offers intrinsic advantages such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and chemical functionality, its adsorption efficiency, mechanical strength, and long-term stability may offer limited performance in complex biomedical environments. The formation of interpenetrating networks provides an effective strategy to overcome these limitations by interlacing chitosan with other polymer networks, resulting in a synergistic enhancement of physicochemical and adsorption properties. The formation of chitosan-based IPNs offers tunable control of network structure, porosity, swelling behaviour, and adsorption kinetics, which in turn results in enhanced retention and controlled interaction of drugs, biomolecules, toxins, and other therapeutic agents. Variations in polymer composition, crosslinking density, and network interactions further facilitate the controlled tailoring of adsorption properties for targeted biomedical applications. This review presents a comprehensive and critical assessment of recent progress in the fabrication, functionalization, and structure–property relationships of chitosan-based IPNs, with a main emphasis on their super-adsorbent behaviour. Furthermore, this review highlights key biomedical applications of IPNs, including controlled drug delivery, wound healing systems, tissue engineering scaffolds, detoxification platforms, and biosensing devices. Current issues in scalability, stability, and clinical translation are discussed, as well as future perspectives that highlight the potential of chitosan-based IPNs as high-performance, sustainable super-adsorbent materials for advanced biomedical technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers for Biomedical Engineering and Clinical Innovation)
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