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来处理医用聚合物管（如导尿管）的内外表面。处理将促进生物活性涂层的附着，将清洁，灭菌，并减少摩擦；类似的工艺也可以沉积有机或无机涂层。由电子回旋共振（ECR）驱动的等离子体将比传统的辉光放电或电晕等离子体更均匀地处理腔内和外表面，并且在更大的工艺参数范围内。第一阶段将证明所有处理过的聚合物管材样品表面都被ECR等离子体处理显著且均匀地激活，而不会造成材料的损坏或变色。最后一期试验将评估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。第二阶段将改进等离子体处理参数，用于抗血栓和抗生素涂层的附着、灭菌、孔密封以及去除管腔壁和医疗导管外表面的污染物。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、低成本的商用聚合物导管生产。表面处理促进生物活性涂层的附着，清洁、灭菌和减少摩擦，将为透析和其他类型的导管增加治疗和经济价值。同样的等离子体处理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形成生物膜

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