Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Hans Grablowitz

Robert Samuel Langer

Andreas Lendlein

Annette Schmidt

Biodegradable shape memory polymer compositions, articles of manufacture thereof, and methods of preparation and use thereof are described. In one embodiment the compositions include at least one hard segment and at least one soft segment. The T.sub.trans of the hard segment is preferably between -30 and 270.degree. C. At least one of the hard or soft segments can contain a crosslinkable group, and the segments can be linked by formation of an interpenetrating network or a semi-interpenetrating network, or by physical interactions of the segments. Objects can be formed into a given shape at a temperature above the T.sub.trans of the hard segment, and cooled to a temperature below the T.sub.trans of the soft segment. If the object is subsequently formed into a second shape, the object can return to its original shape by heating the object above the T.sub.trans of the soft segment and below the T.sub.trans of the hard segment.

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Aachen, Germany

Hans Grablowitz