Topological design of anti-fouling surfaces for biomedical devices

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Significant incidence of hospital-acquired infections due to fouling of biomedical devices is a major threat contributing to prolonged hospital stay and death. Specifically, invasion of bacteria to human bodies via surgical instruments and catheters is made utterly easy by the presence of liquids such as urine, blood and even water/moisture. In this project, robust liquid-repellent surfaces with biofouling-resistant properties will be topologically designed to prevent contamination on biomedical devices. State-of-the-art fabrication techniques (3D printing and laser-based machining) will be used to create distinct surface topologies. This will lead to inherent anti-fouling properties by preventing wetting andadhesion of contaminating liquids.