Offices of Technology Transfer
Welcome to the web site for the Offices of Technology Transfer. We are the teams who facilitate the protection of Intellectual Property and the commercialization—or transfer—of technologies resulting from the cutting-edge research being conducted by our world-class scientists, faculty, and staff here at the University of Rochester and the University of Rochester Medical Center.
We are here to translate scientific innovation into tangible products or methods that advance knowledge and serve the public good while returning income to the inventor and to the University to support further research.
December 2008: Featured Technology
Tunable Shape Memory Polymers
One class of network polymers contains self-complimentary, side-groups that form non-covalent hydrogen bonds with each other when undergoing elastic strain.
- Polymer contains ureidopyrimidinone end-groups which rapidly exchange non-covalent bonds with each other, even when stress is applied to polymer (elastic strained state)
- Lowering temperature (~5°C) in strained state—bond exchange slows
- Polymer remains in its strained state at low temperature for extended period of time
- Raising temperature to pre-cooling conditions (~66°C)—polymer returns to original shape
Unique and specific characteristics set this SMP apart from others:
- Polymer is transparent and rubber in low temperature, strained state
- Little strain (<5%) is lost over extended period of time in cooled state
- Reversible process—polymer returns to original shape when heated
- Recovery rate of strained polymer shows dependence on Arrhenius temperature
- Does NOT exhibit glass/crystallization state—favorable for recovery of polymer
- Polymer is easily manufactured
- Cost efficient
Properties of this class of shape memory polymers can be augmented for unique and specific applications in a number of arenas:
- Medical
- Prosthetics
- Stents
- Implants—internal and external
- Surgical tools
- Packaging
For More Information, Contact:
Corine Farewell
Deputy Director
585.273.2314
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