Report of the task force on biomaterials to the Cardiology Advisory Committee of the NHLBI

It appears that the Biomaterials Program has uncovered large, unsuspected areas of surface chemical and hematological science where knowledge is often inadequate for engineering development. Elucidation of these scientific issues should not only remove a roadblock to the development of blood compatible materials, but could also lay a foundation for basic understanding of the more general problem of tissue-material interactions. Properly focused, the Biomaterials Program has the potential for becoming a show piece among National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) endeavors.