Abstract:
Functional biocoatings with properties such lubricity, antimicrobial, antithrombogenic, etc. must maintain excellent adherence to a device during its operation. Coating failure can be critical. Chemically immobilizing functional biocoatings to medical device surfaces is achieved using a gas plasma surface treatment technique that tailors the surface chemistry to promote adhesion of the biocoating. Plasma treatment also ensures high surface concentration of chemical functionality, which is important not only to the performance of the properties of the coating, but also to ensure uniform coating adhesion. High binding affinities are obtained by plasma treatment even on difficult surfaces such as polyimide, FEP, polypropylene and PTFE.

We will discuss:

• Plasma cleaning
• activation
• chemical grafting of polymer materials

Intended audience: Catheters, stents, biocoating companies

About the speaker:
Demetri Chrysostomou, Director of Technology

Demetri is the Director of Technology for PVA TePla America since Oct 2004. Graduating from Trinity College, Ireland with a PhD in Surface Chemistry, he continued his research at UC Riverside as a Post Doctorate Research Fellow. In 2000 Demetri joined MetroLine Industries, a gas plasma equipment manufacturer in California, as a Process Engineer. In 2001 he took up a similar position with TePla AG in Munich, Germany, focusing on plasma applications in advanced chip packaging and flat panel displays. Returning to California in 2004 and taking his current position, Demetri now focuses on the development of plasma surface modification processes for the life science industries.