Permanent Anticoagulation Blood-Vessel by Mezzo-Sized Double Re-Entrant Structure

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Achieving permanent omniphobicity on internal tube surfaces is crucial for reducing resistance and preventing precipitation in mass transfer applications.
• Fabricating micro- and nanostructures within tubes presents significant challenges, hindering the development of advanced surface properties.
• Existing omniphobic surfaces often lack durability and can lose their properties under physical stress, limiting their practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a wearability and deformation-free structural omniphobic surface for internal tube applications.
• To overcome the challenges associated with fabricating micro/nanostructures inside tubes.
• To demonstrate the efficacy of the fabricated omniphobic tubes in preventing blood clotting.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a wearability and deformation-free structural omniphobic surface.
• Utilizing an "air-spring" mechanism within the surface structure to repel liquids irrespective of surface tension.
• Application of the "roll-up" method to create omniphobic structures on the inner wall of tubes.
• Ex vivo blood testing to evaluate the antithrombotic performance.

Main Results:

• The fabricated omniphobic surface demonstrated the ability to repel various liquids, including complex biological fluids like blood.
• The omniphobicity was maintained even when the surface was subjected to physical deformation, such as bending or twisting.
• Ex vivo blood tests showed a significant reduction in thrombus formation, achieving 99% efficacy compared to heparin-coated tubes.
• The omniphobic tubes effectively prevented blood clotting during simulated delivery.

Conclusions:

• The developed structural omniphobic surface offers a robust and effective solution for preventing liquid adhesion and precipitation in tubes.
• The "roll-up" fabrication method provides a scalable approach for creating these advanced surfaces within tubular structures.
• This technology holds significant potential to replace conventional coating-based medical surfaces and anticoagulation blood vessels, particularly in blood delivery systems.
• The demonstrated 99% reduction in thrombus formation highlights the clinical relevance and potential impact of this innovation.