Surface Engineering of Chemically Inert Polymers for Medical and Biomedical Applications

用于医疗和生物医学应用的化学惰性聚合物的表面工程

• 批准号: RGPIN-2014-04922
• 负责人: Liu, Song
• 金额: $ 1.46万
• 依托单位: University of Manitoba
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=588099
• 关键词: Surface; Engineering; Chemically; Inert; Polymers

Since the surface of medical use textiles and thermoplastic polymers is in contact with microorganisms, cells and biological systems, surface properties play an important role. Surface engineering of existing textiles and polymeric materials is an economical way to develop new materials to meet the rigorous requirements for medical applications and protection. For example, the majority of hospital privacy curtains are contaminated in the first week of use. Subsequently, healthcare workers touch curtains after hand washing, and then touch the patients. The curtains become a vehicle for hospital cross infection. A durable antimicrobial function on the surface of privacy curtains can help decrease the possibility of cross-infection in hospitals. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop novel approaches to durably and efficiently modify the surface of chemically inert polymeric materials for biomedical and medical applications with minimal impact on the physical properties. Within the previous NSERC DISCOVERY program, our research group has successfully developed a new non-destructive and effective surface modification technique for chemically inert thermoplastic polymers such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET): surface modification by forming an interpenetrating network (IPN) of functional and substrate polymers. Such surface modification is durable except if the substrate polymer is dissolved or melted. This novel surface modification technique is easy-to-use, versatile (applicable on many thermoplastic polymers), has preserved mechanical strength of modified polymer substrates, and can achieve a high density of surface functional groups. Although the tensile strength of modified PET fabrics is well preserved, the flexibility of the modified substrate is compromised to a certain degree. To optimize the surface modification and minimize the negative impact on the flexibility of polymer substrates, essential for certain medical applications such as vascular grafts and wound care dressing, we propose to conduct fundamental research to characterize the interpenetrating network in a 3-dimensional fashion, to gain a deeper understanding of the process-structure-property relationship and to durably interlock the functional polymers (such as antibacterial polymers) onto thermoplastic polymers with a minimum of crosslinking. In addition, we will identify strategies to achieve more effective and selective antibacterial activity on medical textiles and implants, allowing fast inactivation of bacteria on medical textiles, and efficient and selective kill of bacteria on implants with minimum human cell toxicity. We anticipate that the proposed study will lead to a breakthrough in the science of surface modification of chemically inert thermoplastic polymers used as medical textiles, biomaterials, and medical devices. The results from this work can be used as tools for biomaterial scientists to devise next-generation biomaterials that can better meet the biological challenges at the tissue/blood–material interface and provide technical support to industries making personal protective equipment, biomaterials and medical devices. The study of strategies for achieving more effective antibacterial surfaces will lay a foundation for the fabrication of potent and selective biocidal PET and polyurethane used in privacy curtains, nurse uniforms and surgical drapes to minimize cross-infection, and in endoscopes and catheters for biofilm control. The proposed work will lead to the training of highly qualified personnel with interdisciplinary skills in Polymer Chemistry, Analytic Chemistry, Medical Textile and Biomaterial Science.

由于医用纺织品和热塑性聚合物的表面与微生物、细胞和生物系统接触，因此表面性能起着重要作用。现有纺织品和聚合物材料的表面工程是开发新材料以满足医疗应用和保护的严格要求的经济方式。例如，大多数医院的隐私窗帘在使用的第一周就被污染了。随后，医护人员在洗手后触摸窗帘，然后触摸患者。窗帘成了医院交叉感染的媒介。隐私窗帘表面的持久抗菌功能有助于减少医院交叉感染的可能性。 本研究的最终目标是开发新的方法，以持久和有效地修改化学惰性聚合物材料的表面，用于生物医学和医疗应用，对物理性能的影响最小。在之前的NSERC DISCOVERY计划中，我们的研究小组已经成功开发了一种新的非破坏性和有效的表面改性技术，用于化学惰性热塑性聚合物，如聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）：通过形成功能和基底聚合物的互穿网络（IPN）进行表面改性。这种表面改性是持久的，除非基底聚合物溶解或熔化。这种新的表面改性技术易于使用，用途广泛（适用于许多热塑性聚合物），保留了改性聚合物基材的机械强度，并可实现高密度的表面官能团。虽然改性PET织物的拉伸强度得到了很好的保留，但改性基材的柔韧性在一定程度上受到了损害。为了优化表面改性并最大限度地减少对聚合物基材柔韧性的负面影响，这对于某些医疗应用（如血管移植物和伤口护理敷料）至关重要，我们建议进行基础研究，以三维方式表征互穿网络，为了更深入地理解工艺-结构-性能关系，将抗菌聚合物（如抗菌聚合物）涂覆到热塑性聚合物上，具有最小的交联。此外，我们将确定策略，以实现对医用纺织品和植入物更有效和更有选择性的抗菌活性，允许快速灭活医用纺织品上的细菌，并以最小的人体细胞毒性有效和选择性地杀死植入物上的细菌。 我们预计，拟议的研究将导致在化学惰性热塑性聚合物的表面改性的科学作为医疗纺织品，生物材料和医疗器械的突破。这项工作的结果可以作为生物材料科学家设计下一代生物材料的工具，这些生物材料可以更好地满足组织/血液材料界面的生物挑战，并为个人防护设备，生物材料和医疗器械制造行业提供技术支持。实现更有效的抗菌表面的策略的研究将为制造用于隐私窗帘，护士制服和手术单以减少交叉感染以及用于内窥镜和导管以控制生物膜的强效和选择性生物杀灭PET和聚氨酯奠定基础。拟议的工作将导致高素质的人才与高分子化学，分析化学，医用纺织品和生物材料科学的跨学科技能的培训。