Barriemembraner

Barriemembraner is the Norwegian term for barrier membranes, semi-permeable barriers designed to separate two adjoining environments while regulating the transport of fluids, solutes, or cells. They are used across medical, industrial, and environmental fields and can be made from biocompatible or synthetic materials. Depending on the application, they may be designed to be temporary or long-lasting, and can be either resorbable or non-resorbable.

There are several general types of barriemembraner. Porous membranes have defined pore sizes that allow selective passage of certain molecules while blocking others, making them suitable for microfiltration and ultrafiltration. Dense membranes have very small free pores and are used for gas or liquid separation with high selectivity. Materials range from natural polymers such as collagen and cellulose to synthetic polymers like polyethersulfone, polyamide, polytetrafluoroethylene, and biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid. In clinical contexts, membranes may be designed to be non-resorbable or resorbable to support healing without requiring removal.

Key properties include selectivity, permeability, mechanical strength, chemical stability, fouling resistance, and biocompatibility. Production methods vary and can include phase inversion, electrospinning, track-etching, extrusion, and solution casting. Surface modifications and coatings are often used to tailor wettability, biocompatibility, or anti-fouling performance.

Applications span dentistry and surgery for guided tissue regeneration, wound dressings acting as protective barriers, tissue engineering scaffolds, and medical devices. In environmental and industrial settings, barriemembraner are used for water treatment, gas separation, and microfluidic systems. Ongoing research aims to improve biocompatibility, degradation profiles, and fouling resistance.

See also: membrane technology, biomaterials, guided tissue regeneration.