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

这个第一阶段的小型企业创新研究项目将开发等离子体工艺，以处理医用聚合物管的内外表面，如导管。这些处理将促进生物活性涂层的附着，将清洁、杀菌和减少摩擦；类似的工艺也可以沉积有机或无机涂层。与传统的辉光放电或电晕等离子体相比，由电子回旋共振(ECR)驱动的等离子体将更均匀地处理管腔和外表面，并在更大的工艺参数范围内处理。第一阶段将证明，所有经过ECR等离子体处理的聚合物管材样品的表面都得到了显著和均匀的活化，而不会造成材料的损坏或变色。最后的第一阶段测试将评估应用于实际血液透析导管管腔壁上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工艺参数，用于附着抗血栓和抗菌涂层、杀菌、封孔以及清除医用导管管腔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等离子体激活系统，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大规模、低成本的导管用聚合物管材的商业化生产。表面处理有助于生物活性涂层的附着以及清洁、杀菌和减少摩擦，将为透析和其他类型的导管增加治疗和经济价值。同样的等离子处理也可以应用于其他医疗和非医疗用途的管道，例如防止牙科水管中生物膜的形成。

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