Abstract: A memory includes: a magnet including a first and second portions adjacent in a first direction. The first portion has a first dimension in a second direction at a first position at which a dimension of the magnet in the second direction is maximum, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second portion has a second dimension in the second direction at a second position at which a dimension of the magnet in the second direction is minimum, the second dimension smaller than the first dimension, the first portion is continuous to the second portion via a third position between the first and second positions, a curve corresponding to an outer of the magnet extends between the first and third positions, and the curve passes through a side closer to the central axis of the magnet than a straight line connecting the first and second positions.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a material for adsorbing soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors with high efficiency. The present invention provides an adsorbing material for soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors, which includes a superficially porous water-insoluble polymeric material, wherein the pore size distribution curve for the surface of the water-insoluble polymeric material, which is derived from a distribution of melting points determined by differential scanning calorimeter, shows the peak radius in the range of 1 to 80 nm, and the water-insoluble polymeric material has a zeta potential at pH 7.4 of ?15 to 15 mV, and the water-insoluble polymeric material is in fiber, particle, or film form.

Abstract: A material for adhesion prevention can be adhered to biological tissue with certainty and has improved tissue adhesiveness and biodegradability. Such material for adhesion prevention is composed of: a 1- to 1,000-?m-thick water-soluble support layer comprising a water-soluble polymer; and a 1- to 1,000-?m-thick adhesion prevention layer comprising a biodegradable polymer. The biodegradable polymer has a structure in which a branched polyalkylene glycol comprising 3 to 8 terminal hydroxyl groups per molecule is bound to a polyhydroxy alkanoic acid, and a mass ratio of the branched polyalkylene glycol relative to the total mass is 1% to 30%.

Abstract: A material for adhesion prevention can be adhered to biological tissue with certainty and has improved tissue adhesiveness and biodegradability. Such material for adhesion prevention is composed of: a 1- to 1,000-?m-thick water-soluble support layer comprising a water-soluble polymer; and a 1- to 1,000-?m-thick adhesion prevention layer comprising a biodegradable polymer. The biodegradable polymer has a structure in which a branched polyalkylene glycol comprising 3 to 8 terminal hydroxyl groups per molecule is bound to a polyhydroxy alkanoic acid, and a mass ratio of the branched polyalkylene glycol relative to the total mass is 1% to 30%.

Abstract: An antithrombogenic material includes a coating material containing: a cationic polymer containing, as a constituent monomer, a compound selected from the group consisting of alkyleneimines, vinylamines, allylamines, lysine, protamine, and diallyldimethylammonium chloride; and an anionic compound containing a sulfur atom and having anticoagulant activity; and a base material whose surface is coated with the coating material; wherein the cationic polymer is covalently bound to the base material; the anionic compound containing a sulfur atom and having anticoagulant activity is immobilized on the surface of the base material by ionic bonding to the cationic polymer; and the average thickness of the coating material is 15 to 400 nm.

Abstract: A biodegradable material has an improved biodegradability, an enhanced shape recovery rate after deformation of the material and an improved flexibility. The biodegradable material is a chemically cross-linked product of: a multivalent compound A having 3 or more functional groups X such as hydroxyl group; a multivalent compound B having 3 or more functional groups Y such as carboxyl group; and a compound C having a structure originated from a hydroxycarboxylic acid whose homopolymer formed by homopolymerization has a glass transition point of ?40° C. or lower.

Abstract: Biodegradable particles for medical use and a vascular embolization material have improved flexibility, cause less aggregation among particles, and have improved particle shape-recovering ability after passing through a catheter or the like. The biodegradable particles for medical use are composed of an A1-B-A2 type triblock copolymer, wherein A1 and A2 are each a block of biodegradable copolymer constituted of monomers including glycolic acid, lactic acid and 6-hydroxycaproic acid, and B is a block of water-soluble polymer.

Abstract: A biodegradable material is a chemically cross-linked product between a multivalent compound A having 3 or more functional groups X such as hydroxyl group; and a multivalent compound B having 3 or more functional groups Y such as carboxyl group wherein chemical cross-linkage(s) is/are formed by condensation reaction of the functional group(s) X and the functional group(s) Y; wherein (y+z)/(x+z) is 1.2 to 4.0 when MA>MB, and (x+z)/(y+z) is 1.2 to 4.0 when MA<MB; wherein x represents the number of the functional group(s) X not condensed with the functional group(s) Y; y represents the number of the functional group(s) Y not condensed with the functional group(s) X; z represents the number of the cross-linkage(s); MA represents weight average molecular weight of the multivalent compound A; and MB represents weight average molecular weight of the multivalent compound B.

Abstract: Spherical biodegradable particles have improved flexibility, cause less aggregation among particles, and have improved particle shape-recovering ability after passing through a catheter or the like. The biodegradable particles include a synthetic polymer chemically cross-linked to a polyvalent carboxylic acid, the biodegradable particles having a water content of 20 to 90% in a water-saturated state.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a biodegradable particle capable of being molded without an aggregation or cohesion of the particles, capable of being carried or injected without clogging by an aggregation in a micro diameter tube such as of a catheter, needle or syringe mainly used in pharmaceutical and medical applications of which inner diameter is smaller than the particle size or in a blood vessel and capable of being smoothly degraded in a specified period of time so that degraded component can finally be absorbed or discharged in vitro. As means for solving the problem, the present invention provides a biodegradable particle characterized in that a compressive modulus of the particle in water saturated state is 10 MPa or less.

Abstract: A biodegradable material has an improved biodegradability, an enhanced shape recovery rate after deformation of the material and an improved flexibility. The biodegradable material is a chemically cross-linked product of: a multivalent compound A having 3 or more functional groups X such as hydroxyl group; a multivalent compound B having 3 or more functional groups Y such as carboxyl group; and a compound C having a structure originated from a hydroxycarboxylic acid whose homopolymer formed by homopolymerization has a glass transition point of ?40° C. or lower.

Abstract: A biodegradable material is a chemically cross-linked product between a multivalent compound A having 3 or more functional groups X such as hydroxyl group; and a multivalent compound B having 3 or more functional groups Y such as carboxyl group wherein chemical cross-linkage(s) is/are formed by condensation reaction of the functional group(s) X and the functional group(s) Y; wherein (y+z)/(x+z) is 1.2 to 4.0 when MA>MB, and (x+z)/(y+z) is 1.2 to 4.0 when MA<MB; wherein x represents the number of the functional group(s) X not condensed with the functional group(s) Y; y represents the number of the functional group(s) Y not condensed with the functional group(s) X; z represents the number of the cross-linkage(s); MA represents weight average molecular weight of the multivalent compound A; and MB represents weight average molecular weight of the multivalent compound B.

Abstract: A biodegradable particle including a block copolymer produced by copolymerization of a biodegradable copolymer having a structure composed of hydroxycarboxylic acid a1, whose homopolymer produced by homopolymerization has a glass transition point of not less than 40° C., and hydroxycarboxylic acid a2, whose homopolymer produced by homopolymerization has a glass transition point of not more than ?40° C.; a water-soluble polymer comprising a functional group selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, amino group and carboxylic acid group at each of both ends; and a polyvalent compound comprising 2 or more functional groups each selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, amino group and carboxylic acid group; wherein a ratio of mass of said structure composed of hydroxycarboxylic acid a2 to mass of said biodegradable copolymer is 30 to 90% by mass.

Abstract: A biodegradable particle including a block copolymer produced by copolymerization of a biodegradable copolymer having a structure composed of hydroxycarboxylic acid a1, whose homopolymer produced by homopolymerization has a glass transition point of not less than 40° C. and hydroxycarboxylic acid a2, whose homopolymer produced by homopolymerization has a glass transition point of not more than ?40° C.; a water-soluble polymer comprising a functional group selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, amino group and carboxylic acid group at each of both ends; and a polyvalent compound comprising 2 or more functional groups each selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, amino group and carboxylic acid group; wherein a ratio of mass of said structure composed of hydroxycarboxylic acid a2 to mass of said biodegradable copolymer is 30 to 90% by mass.

Abstract: Biodegradable particles for medical use and a vascular embolization material have improved flexibility, cause less aggregation among particles, and have improved particle shape-recovering ability after passing through a catheter or the like. The biodegradable particles for medical use are composed of an A1-B-A2 type triblock copolymer, wherein A1 and A2 are each a block of biodegradable copolymer constituted of monomers including glycolic acid, lactic acid and 6-hydroxycaproic acid, and B is a block of water-soluble polymer.

Abstract: Spherical biodegradable particles have improved flexibility, cause less aggregation among particles, and have improved particle shape-recovering ability after passing through a catheter or the like. The biodegradable particles include a synthetic polymer chemically cross-linked to a polyvalent carboxylic acid, the biodegradable particles having a water content of 20 to 90% in a water-saturated state.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a biodegradable particle capable of being molded without an aggregation or cohesion of the particles, capable of being carried or injected without clogging by an aggregation in a micro diameter tube such as of a catheter, needle or syringe mainly used in pharmaceutical and medical applications of which inner diameter is smaller than the particle size or in a blood vessel and capable of being smoothly degraded in a specified period of time so that degraded component can finally be absorbed or discharged in vitro. As means for solving the problem, the present invention provides a biodegradable particle characterized in that a compressive modulus of the particle in water saturated state is 10 MPa or less.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a biodegradable particle capable of being molded without an aggregation or cohesion of the particles, capable of being carried or injected without clogging by an aggregation in a micro diameter tube such as of a catheter, needle or syringe mainly used in pharmaceutical and medical applications of which inner diameter is smaller than the particle size or in a blood vessel and capable of being smoothly degraded in a specified period of time so that degraded component can finally be absorbed or discharged in vitro. As means for solving the problem, the present invention provides a biodegradable particle characterized in that a compressive modulus of the particle in water saturated state is 10 MPa or less.

Abstract: This invention provides an embolization material used for blocking a blood vessel in vivo for stopping the blood flow. The most suitable embolization material has a water swelling ratio of 30% or more, is degradable in a phosphate buffered saline, is formed as virtually spherical particles, and is preferably composed of a water insoluble poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer, wherein when the film formed from said polymer is saturated with water, it has an elastic modulus in tension of 1500 MPa or less. The embolization material of this invention can reliably block a blood vessel at an intended site without causing cohesion or clogging in a catheter or in the blood vessel at other than the intended site. Thereafter, the blocked site concerned can be liberated from the embolized state by degradation, and the degraded components can be metabolized or excreted outside the body.