The technology employs polysiloxane elastomers and poly(urethane urea) copolymers functionalized with sulfobetaine (zwitterionic) side chains to resist nonspecific protein and thrombotic deposition. It can be synthesized via hydrosilylation of vinyl-terminated poly(dialkylsiloxane) with a diallyl sulfobetaine macromer using platinum or ruthenium catalysts, or by copolymerizing a PDMS diol, a diisocyanate, a tertiary amine alkyl diol, and a PDMS diamine followed by post-functionalization with cyclic sulfonates. These materials exhibit reduced fibrinogen adsorption and platelet deposition, no hemolysis or cytotoxicity, and can be applied by dip or spray coatings onto stents, catheters, vascular grafts, microfluidic devices, and gas-exchange membranes. The copolymers also can be directly fabricated into various cardiovascular devices using electrospinning or conventional microfluidic device fabrication techniques.
Description
The integration of zwitterionic sulfobetaine groups into a PDMS-based backbone differentiates this approach by combining the mechanical resilience and biostability of polysiloxanes with the superior antifouling properties of zwitterions. Unlike conventional PDMS surfaces that rapidly adsorb proteins and trigger thrombogenesis, these materials maintain low fouling in blood-contacting environments over extended periods. The dual synthetic routes enable tailoring of polymer composition and processing options, while the poly(urethane urea) segments impart additional strength and versatility, making this platform uniquely suited for next-generation blood-compatible medical devices.
Applications
- Antithrombogenic stent coatings
- Hemocompatible catheter coatings
- Vascular graft surface coatings
- Heart valve surface coatings
- Microfluidic device coatings
- Direct fabrications of cardiovascular devices using a zwitterionic-PDMS or zwitterionic-urethane copolymers
Advantages
- Reduced protein adsorption and platelet deposition for enhanced hemocompatibility
- No hemolysis or cytotoxicity, ensuring biocompatibility
- Biostable elastomeric coating suitable for long-term blood-contacting use
- Versatile processing methods (electrospinning or PDMS microfluidic device fabrications, dip or spray coatings) for diverse applications
- Compatible with a broad range of devices (stents, catheters, grafts, valves, microfluidics, gas-exchange membranes)
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20240294760A1Related Publications
Mercader, A., Ye, S.-H., Kim, S., Orizondo, R. A., Cho, S. K., & Wagner, W. R. (2022). PDMS-Zwitterionic Hybrid for Facile, Antifouling Microfluidic Device Fabrication. Langmuir, 38(12), 3775–3784. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c03375
Kim, S., Ye, S., Adamo, A., Orizondo, R. A., Jo, J., Cho, S. K., & Wagner, W. R. (2020). A biostable, anti-fouling zwitterionic polyurethane-urea based on PDMS for use in blood-contacting medical devices. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 8(36), 8305–8314. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0tb01220c
