Haemocompatibility of coronary catheters

Unwanted side-effects like thrombotic-thromboembolic processes accompany the intravascular use of catheters. The influence of the physico-chemical properties of the catheter materials on these processes is not completely understood.

The haemocompatibility of angiography-catheters (n = 10) (Super Torque Plus, CORDIS, Johnson & Johnson company) was examined in a perfusion-model filled with platelet-rich plasma and either compared to a non-thrombogenic (silicon-tube) or to a thrombogenic surface (glass). As test-parameters the number of single circulating thrombocytes, of circulating platelet-aggregates, of circulating activated thrombocytes (CD62) and the thrombin generation (thrombin antithrombin III-complexes) were evaluated.

None of the test-parameters showed differences between the non-thrombogenic control-system and the angiography-catheters. Both systems, however, differed significantly and relevantly from the system filled with the glass-beads (the thrombogenic control-systems).

With respect to the platelet reactivity angiography-catheters of the examined type can therefore be regarded as non-thrombogenic or haemocompatible.