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: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=657810
• 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.

由于医用使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，因此表面特性起着重要作用。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要求的经济方式。例如，大多数医院隐私窗帘在使用的第一周被污染。随后，洗手后触摸窗帘，然后触摸患者。窗帘成为医院交叉感染的工具。隐私窗帘表面上耐用的抗菌功能可以帮助减少医院交叉感染的可能性。 **这项研究的最终目标是开发新颖的方法，以持久有效地修改化学惰性聚合物材料的表面，以用于生物医学和医学应用，对物理特性的影响最小。在先前的NSERC发现程序中，我们的研究小组成功地开发了一种新的非破坏性和有效的表面修饰技术，用于化学惰性的热塑性聚合物，例如聚（PET）（PET）（PET）：通过形成互化网络（IPN）（IPN）（PET）：功能和底物聚合物。除非溶解或融化，否则这种表面修饰是耐用的。这种新型的表面修饰技术是易于使用的，多功能（适用于许多热塑性聚合物），它保留了修饰的聚合物底物的机械强度，并且可以达到高密度的表面官能团。尽管保存了改良的PET织物的拉伸强度，但在一定程度上却将改良的底物的柔韧性受到损害。为了优化表面修饰并最大程度地减少对聚合物底物灵活性的负面影响，对于某些医学应用，例如血管移植和伤口护理敷料至关重要，我们建议进行基础研究以以3维的方式表征以3维网络的表征更深入地了解过程结构 - 特性关系，并持久地将功能聚合物（例如抗菌聚合物）互锁到具有最低交联的热塑性聚合物上。此外，我们将确定在医疗纺织品和植入物上实现更有效和选择性抗菌活性的策略，从而使细菌在医疗纺织品上快速失活，以及在人类细胞毒性最少的植入物上有效且选择性地杀死细菌。 **我们预计拟议的研究将导致化学惰性热塑性聚合物用作医疗纺织品，生物材料和医疗设备的化学惰性热塑性聚合物的突破。这项工作的结果可以用作生物材料科学家设计下一代生物材料的工具，可以更好地应对组织/血液材料界面的生物学挑战，并为制造个人保护设备，生物材料和医疗设备的行业提供技术支持。对实现更有效的抗菌表面的策略的研究将为私人窗帘，护士制服和外科手术窗帘制造有效和选择性的杀生物宠物和聚氨酯奠定基础，以最大程度地减少交叉感染，以及用于生物膜控制的内窥镜和导管。拟议的工作将导致对具有跨学科技能的高素质人员进行聚合物化学，分析化学，医学纺织品和生物材料科学的培训。