SBIR PHASE I: ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) Plasma Treatment of Polymer Tubing Such As Catheters

这个第一阶段的小企业创新研究项目将开发等离子体工艺，以处理医疗聚合物管材（如导管）的内外表面。这些处理将促进生物活性涂层的附着，将清洁、消毒和减少摩擦;类似的过程也可以沉积存款有机或无机涂层。由电子回旋共振（ECR）驱动的等离子体将比常规辉光放电或电晕等离子体更均匀地处理内腔和外表面，并且在更大的工艺参数范围内。第I阶段将证明聚合物管路样品的所有处理表面均已通过ECR等离子体处理显著且均匀地活化，而不会导致材料损坏或变色。最终的I期试验将评价应用于实际血液透析导管管腔壁的含肝素生物活性涂层的均匀性。第二阶段将完善等离子体处理参数，用于附着抗血栓和抗生素涂层、灭菌、孔密封以及去除医疗导管内腔壁和外表面上的污染物。第二阶段还将开始将研究成果应用于ECR等离子体活化系统，用于第三阶段的生产和商业化。 ECR等离子体工艺应可扩展到导管用聚合物管的大规模、低成本商业生产。促进生物活性涂层的附着以及用于清洁、灭菌和减少摩擦的表面处理将为透析和其他导管类型增加治疗和经济价值。相同的等离子体处理可以应用于其他医疗和非医疗应用的管道，例如防止牙科水管中的生物膜形成

This Phase I Small Business Innovation Research project will develop plasma processes to treat both internal and external surfaces of medical polymer tubing such as catheters. The treatments will facilitate attachment of bioactive coatings, will clean, sterilize, and reduce friction; similar processes can also deposit organic or inorganic coatings. Plasmas driven by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) will treat the lumen and external surfaces more uniformly, and over a greater range of process parameters, than conventional glow discharge or corona plasmas. Phase I will demonstrate that all treated surfaces of polymer tubing samples have been significantly and uniformly activated by the ECR plasma treatment without causing damage or discoloration of the material. A final Phase I test will evaluate the uniformity of a heparin-containing bioactive coating applied to the lumen wall of actual hemodialysis catheters. Phase II will refine plasma processing parameters for attachment of antithrombotic and antibiotic coatings, sterilization, pore sealing, and removal of contaminants on the lumen wall and exterior surfaces of medical catheters. Phase II would also begin applying research results to an ECR plasma activation system for Phase III production and commercialization. The ECR plasma process should be expandable to large-scale, low-cost commercial production of polymer tubing for catheters. A surface treatment to facilitate attachment of bioactive coatings and for cleaning, sterilization, and friction reduction would add both therapeutic and economic value to dialysis and other catheter types. The same plasma treatments can be applied to tubing for other medical and non-medical applications, such as prevention of biofilm formation in dental water lines