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.

湿滑的液体注入多孔表面（SLIPS）是最近在超薄膜表面的创新，具有广泛的潜在应用。但是，到目前为止，几乎所有的创新都集中在用于防化应用的超疏水措施上。我们建议采用相同的原理来开发超恐惧症的表面，能够具有极低的气泡粘附以及蒸气气泡的方向运输。该表面适用于甲烷捕获技术，减少温室气体排放，同时提供新的能源或预防注射的医疗设备上的气泡附件。可以通过复制Nepenthes Pitcher植物来实现这种开创性的表面，该材料已进化为在其表皮上形成一个复杂的，通道的微结构，从而捕获了一层薄薄的水，从而导致具有方向运输能力的极度滑水的超级恐惧症表面。在实验室中，该表面将通过钢基材上的飞秒激光微加工来复制，以开发类似尼彭的层次层次微通道结构，然后采用湿化学修饰方法来调整制造结构的润湿性。此外，超级恐惧症结构将通过与OPSENS的合作（一家制造压力指南医疗设备的加拿大公司）合作转化为应用程序，该公司被插入人体血液中，以获得血液流量特征的体内测量，从而指导外科医生到最需要支架的动脉。目前，Opsens的最新模型（Optowire III）遭受了压力传感器附近的气泡附着问题，导致了错误的测量，并且将在包含SuperAterophopic，尤其是方向性运输特性中受益于从导频中消除附着的气泡的定向运输特性。如果成功的话，该项目将导致一家加拿大公司生产行业中测量最低的压力指南，从而导致经济增长，创造就业机会，最重要的是，在加拿大医院挽救了生命。