Skip to main content
"By creating we think, by living we learn" Patrick Geddes
Main University menu
 

Templates Top-Level Menu

Novel Anti-Microbial And Anti-Thrombotic Biomaterials For Medical Devices

AFM image of Si-doped DLC films with Si:1%
AFM image of
Si-doped DLC films
with Si:1%

Infections arising from the use of implanted biomedical devices, such as heart valves, stents, catheters, joint prostheses, intraocular lenses and dental implants etc. are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospitalisation, patient discomfort and increased medical costs. Progress in the area of anti-microbial treatment has been of limited success. A further problem encountered when artificial surfaces come into contact with human tissue is bio-incompatibility. The interaction of a biomaterial with blood initially stimulates platelet activation, leading to blood coagulation and thrombus formation.


Effect of surface energy on the adhesion of bovine fibrin

Our biomaterials research group brings together essential scientific expertise in surface modification and biomaterials, blood characterisation and cell biology and vascular medicine to develop novel anti-microbial and anti-thrombotic nanocomposite coatings with improved biocompatibility to prevent medical device-related infections and thrombus formation. The key idea is to treat the surfaces of medical devices with DLC and a special selected element to be predicted using extended DLVO theory, such that the interaction forces between the coated surface and selected bacteria (or platelets/WBCs) become less attractive or even repulsive. Hence bacterial attachment and colonization (or platelet/WBC attachment and activation) on the surface are inhibited or prevented.


Links

Papers

Contact

Edit