Titania gel reduces thrombin generation.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Materials Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Titanium alloy (Ti) is a conventional biomaterial for blood-contacting devices like blood pumps.
• Thrombus formation on Ti surfaces remains a critical challenge, initiated by thrombin generation and subsequent activation of platelets and the coagulation cascade.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of a chemically modified titania gel (Ti-gel) surface on Ti to inhibit thrombin generation and reduce blood coagulation.
• To evaluate the antithrombogenic properties of the Ti-gel surface for blood pump applications.

Main Methods:

• Chemical modification of Ti surface to form a titania gel (Ti-gel).
• Surface characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to observe surface structure.
• Evaluation of blood coagulation and thrombin generation (both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways) on Ti and Ti-gel surfaces.
• Assessment of thrombin degradation on both surfaces.

Main Results:

• SEM revealed a cracked, water-enriched layer on the dried Ti-gel surface.
• Significantly less blood coagulation was observed on the Ti-gel surface compared to the Ti surface.
• Lower levels of generated thrombin were detected on Ti-gel for both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways.
• No significant difference in thrombin degradation was found between Ti and Ti-gel surfaces.

Conclusions:

• The formation of Ti-gel on the Ti surface effectively inhibits the coagulation cascade.
• The Ti-gel surface exhibits reduced thrombin generation, suggesting improved antithrombogenic characteristics.
• Ti-gel presents a promising surface modification for enhancing the hemocompatibility of blood pumps.