Abstract
An evaluation using FPU as an intra-aortic balloon was made. It was inserted into the descending aorta of dogs, and drived without heparin. From the aortography, good motion of FPU balloon was observed. After driving for 24 hours in max, there were no gross macroscopic thrombi, and from the observation with SEM, negligible blood components were found on the surface of the balloon. We did not find any problem about the strength of FPU balloon, nor remarkable changes of coagulation factors during experiments. In compared with the widely used Cardiothane balloons, there were no significant differences about the blood compatibility. Thus, PFU will have possible application as a new biomaterial of intra-aortic balloon catheter for clinical use.
