Nitric oxide-releasing fluorescence-based oxygen sensing polymeric films

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Intravascular optical oxygen sensors face biocompatibility and performance challenges.
• Nitric oxide (NO)-releasing polymers offer a potential solution to improve sensor function and reduce adverse biological responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro analytical performance of fluorescence-based oxygen sensing polymeric films incorporating nitric oxide (NO)-releasing silicone rubbers.
• To explore the use of NO-releasing polymers in fabricating functional optical sensors for enhanced biocompatibility and performance.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of plasticized silicone rubber films doped with diazeniumdiolate NO donors, releasing NO for over 24 hours.
• Fabrication of single-layer and dual-layer optical oxygen sensors by incorporating oxygen indicators (pyrene/perylene donor/acceptor pair) into NO-releasing or conventional polymeric materials.
• Analysis of sensor responses to oxygen using fluorescence-based measurements and Stern-Volmer analysis.

Main Results:

• Single-layer NO-releasing sensors exhibited nonlinear Stern-Volmer behavior due to heterogeneous environments and fluorescence quenching.
• Dual-layer sensors, with an NO-releasing base layer and a separate indicator layer, demonstrated sensitivity and linearity comparable to non-NO-releasing sensors.
• The dual-layer configuration provided necessary surface NO fluxes, indicating potential for more thromboresistive devices.

Conclusions:

• Dual-layer optical oxygen sensors incorporating NO-releasing silicone rubber maintain analytical performance while offering improved biocompatibility.
• This approach presents a viable strategy for developing advanced intravascular optical oxygen sensors with enhanced thromboresistive properties.