Synthetic materials such as plastics are commonly used in biomedical applications. However, because of their incompatibility within human body, they may be limited in usage or cause adverse physiological reactions such as thrombosis formation, inflammation and infection. Plasma surface modified materials can achieve biocompatibility and/or enhance their performance without changing their bulk properties.

Some biomedical applications include:

• Creating chemically active functional groups to improve interfacial adhesion for printing, bonding and interconnection of two parts. Common applications include pretreatment for catheters, syringe components, dialysis pump parts and plastic films for blood and drug bags.

• Tailoring surface energies such as hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces on polymers to enhance performance of the devices. Surfaces can also be specifically engineered to modify protein absorption and improve blood compatibility.

• Activating polymeric implant material surface to be biocompatible. Improving bonding of antithrombogenic and antimicrobial coatings increases device biocompatibility.

• Crosslinking within the material to increase hardness and chemical resistance.

The plasma process offers flexibility, effectiveness, repeatability, safety and environmental friendliness when compared to other methods.

Matt

Product Manager