Surface Modification – Blood Compatibility

Abstract

A study was made of the influence of processing parameters and methodology of sample treatments on blood compatibility. The processing parameters, for example casting and precipitating, cause a difference in the surface energy; however, when a passive layer of proteins comes on to the surface the relative variation is insignificant. ATR work suggests that the chemical group distribution at the air-polymer interface and the glass-polymer interface is different in the case of cast films while for the precipitated films both surfaces seem to be closer. Ellipsometric studies at the liquid-polymer interface suggest that the relative increase in the thickness of the adsorbed proteins may be influenced by the passivity of the surface and interdiffusion of protein molecules into the passive layer; the latter requires further investigation.

Our studies suggest that a better approach towards blood compatibility may be the combination of passivity and a distribution of proper functional groups (heparin type) on the surface.