63rd Annual Gaseous Electronics Conference and 7th International Conference on Reactive Plasmas
Volume 55, Number 7
Monday–Friday, October 4–8, 2010;
Paris, France
Session ET4: Biological and Biomedical Applications of Plasmas II
4:00 PM–6:00 PM,
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Room: Petit Amphitheatre
Chair: Mounir Laroussi, Old Dominion University
Abstract ID: BAPS.2010.GEC.ET4.1
Abstract: ET4.00001 : Blood-biocompatible materials via plasma processing
4:00 PM–4:30 PM
Preview Abstract
Abstract
Author:
Uros Cvelbar
(Jozef Stefan Institute)
Biocompatible materials, e.g. vascular grafts made of polymers have
successfully replaced large-diameter blood vessels, but the long-term
performance of small-diameter ($<$ 6 mm) vascular grafts is still
disappointing. The main problem is insufficient biocompatibility of polymer
surface with blood, which causes complications after implementation; such as
thrombosis or restenosis. These complications immediately lead to an
additional surgical procedure, which is expensive and unpleasant (or
sometimes even fatal)~for the patient. Many efforts have been done to
improve surface biocompatibility of vascular grafts, mainly by coating the
surface with bioactive substances such as gelatin, albumin, collagen and
heparin. However, successful results have not yet been reported for
small-diameter vascular grafts. A promising way to modify surface properties
of vascular grafts is by plasma treatment, as this method enables
modification of surface properties in terms of surface roughness, surface
chemistry, wettability and crystallinity, without alternating the bulk
attributes. Because these surface properties play a key role in
biocompatibility of materials, we studied effects of plasma processing on
polymer surfaces and correlated them with proliferation of endothelia cells
and adhesion of platelets in order to achieve direct protection of vascular
grafts with self-controlled bio-surface. The \textit{in vitro} biological response of plasma
processed polymers showed that more significant changes in biological
response can be obtained on oxygen treated surfaces. These surfaces enabled
improved proliferation of endothelia cells and reduced adhesion of
platelets. This can mainly be attributed to newly formed oxygen functional
groups, which seem to have remarkable influence on adhesion of platelets.
And more, the platelet adhesion is also a function of polymer crystallinity,
since as much lower platelet adhesion is observed on semicrystalline
polymers in comparison to amorphous. Interestingly there is no significant
correlation between platelet adhesion and surface wettability. So, we can
conclude that low temperature oxygen plasma processing is promising method
to improve proliferation of endothelia cells and to reduce adhesion of
platelets from blood, and improve hemocompatibile properties of vascular
grafts made of polymers like PET.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2010.GEC.ET4.1