Aerophobic water-wicking metallic surfaces for medical equipment

用于医疗设备的疏气吸水金属表面

• 批准号: 575561-2022
• 负责人: Kietzig, AnneMarieAM
• 金额: $ 3.4万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=747044
• 关键词: Aerophobic; water; wicking; metallic; surfaces

Slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) are a recent innovation in superwetting surfaces, with a wide range of potential applications. However, nearly all innovation so far has focused on superhydrophobic SLIPS for anti-fouling applications. We propose to apply the same principles to develop a superaerophobic SLIPS surface, capable of extremely low bubble adhesion along with directional transport of vapour bubbles. This surface will be applicable to methane capture technology, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while providing a new energy source, or the prevention of bubble attachment on injected medical devices. Such a ground-breaking surface can be achieved through biomimicry by replicating the Nepenthes pitcher plant, which has evolved to form a complex, channeled microstructure on its epidermis that traps a thin layer of water, leading to an extremely slippery superaerophobic surface with direction transport capabilities. In the lab, this surface will be replicated via femtosecond laser micromachining on a steel substrate to develop Nepenthes-like hierarchical microchannel structures, followed by wet chemical modification methods to tune the wettability of the fabricated structures. Further, the superaerophobic structures will be translated into application through collaboration with OpSens, a Canadian company that manufacture pressure guidewire medical devices, which are inserted into the human bloodstream to obtain in-vivo measurements of blood flow characteristics, guiding surgeons to the arteries that most require stenting. Presently, OpSens's newest model (the OptoWire III) suffers from bubble attachment issues near the pressure sensor leading to erroneous measurements, and would benefit substantially from the inclusion of superaerophobic, and especially directional transport properties that would dislodge attached gas bubbles from the guidewire. If successful, this project would lead a Canadian company to produce pressure guidewires with the lowest measurement drift in the industry, leading to economic growth, job creation, and most importantly, saved lives in Canadian hospitals.

注入滑移液体的多孔表面（SLIPS）是近年来超润湿表面领域的一项创新，具有广泛的应用前景。然而，到目前为止，几乎所有的创新都集中在用于防污应用的超疏水SLIPS上。我们建议应用相同的原理来开发一个超疏气SLIPS表面，能够极低的气泡粘附沿着与蒸汽气泡的定向运输。这种表面将适用于甲烷捕获技术，在提供新能源的同时减少温室气体排放，或防止气泡附着在注射的医疗器械上。这样一个突破性的表面可以通过复制猪笼草的仿生学来实现，猪笼草已经进化到在其表皮上形成复杂的通道微观结构，这些微观结构可以捕获一层薄薄的水，从而形成具有方向运输能力的极其光滑的超疏气表面。在实验室中，该表面将通过飞秒激光微加工在钢基底上复制，以开发类似于Nepenthes的分层微通道结构，然后通过湿化学改性方法来调整制造结构的润湿性。此外，超级疏气结构将通过与OpSens合作转化为应用，OpSens是一家加拿大公司，生产压力导丝医疗器械，将其插入人体血流中以获得血流特性的体内测量，引导外科医生进入最需要支架的动脉。目前，OpSens的最新型号（OptoWire III）在压力传感器附近存在气泡附着问题，导致测量错误，并且将从包含超疏气，特别是将附着的气泡从导丝上去除的定向传输特性中获益匪浅。如果成功，该项目将带领一家加拿大公司生产行业内测量漂移最低的压力导丝，从而促进经济增长，创造就业机会，最重要的是，挽救加拿大医院的生命。