A bioinspired omniphobic surface coating on medical devices prevents thrombosis and biofouling

TLDR: A bioinspired, omniphobic coating is applied to tubing and catheters and it is shown that it completely repels blood and suppresses biofilm formation, which could reduce the use of anticoagulants in patients and help to prevent thrombotic occlusion and biofouling of medical devices.

Abstract: Thrombosis and biofouling of extracorporeal circuits and indwelling medical devices cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We apply a bioinspired, omniphobic coating to tubing and catheters and show that it completely repels blood and suppresses biofilm formation. The coating is a covalently tethered, flexible molecular layer of perfluorocarbon, which holds a thin liquid film of medical-grade perfluorocarbon on the surface. This coating prevents fibrin attachment, reduces platelet adhesion and activation, suppresses biofilm formation and is stable under blood flow in vitro. Surface-coated medical-grade tubing and catheters, assembled into arteriovenous shunts and implanted in pigs, remain patent for at least 8 h without anticoagulation. This surface-coating technology could reduce the use of anticoagulants in patients and help to prevent thrombotic occlusion and biofouling of medical devices.

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