Polymer Surface Treatments for Improved Hemocompatibility

• Research unit: COST
• Project number: C00.0094

Key words (English)

PVD-coating: semi-conductive coating; diamond-like carbon; DLC; silicon carbide; SiC; bio-and hemocompatibility

Research programs (English)

COST-Action 527 - Plasma Polymers and Related Materials

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

A, B, CZ, F, D, IRL, I, LT, NL, PL, P, RO, E, CH, TR, GB

Abstract (English)

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) and silicon carbide (SiC) coatings are attractive due to their low coefficient of friction and their high hardness, the chemical inertness and the smooth finish they provide to biomedical devices. Silicon wafer and silicone rubber plate were coated using physical vapour deposition (PVD) techniques. Coated surfaces were prepared using different deposition parameters and were then compared to uncoated materials and various substrates such as: polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and medical steel (MS). The DLC coatings prolonged the clotting time, tended to suppress the platelet and complement convertase activations, when compared to PMMA, LDPE, PDMS, MS, and native Si-wafer substrates. Their inert nature together with the smoothness of the DLC coated surface appears to dominate the good hemocompatibility in vitro. These results propose that the samples are further evaluated by in vivo experiments for blood contacting applications. After the results of the in vitro testing of SiC coatings prepared, these films were considered to be thrombogenic. The character of the semi-conductive deposited film is supposed to influence the electron transfer between the implant surface and cells which plays a key role in thrombosis generation. The relation between the electronic properties of the surface coating and the hemocompatibility performance were investigated. In the frame of the project it was not possible to optimise the respective properties.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: COST-DB of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Hallwylstrasse 4 CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland Tel. [phone] Swiss Project-Number: C00.0094