9 - Polymer coatings for biocompatibility and reduced nonspecific adsorption

The pursuit of discovering a material with ideal surface properties and essential mechanical properties is a continued work in progress, particularly in the case of cardiovascular stent materials. The current generation of stent materials tends to trigger various adverse reactions such as inflammation, fibrosis, thrombosis, and infection. Most of these issues arise due to interface problems between the stent surface and its immediate environment. The main focus of most research groups therefore lies on modifying the surface of materials without altering the bulk properties. Most polymeric materials already possess the proper bulk properties, for instance, light weight-to-volume ratio, exceptional corrosion resistance, easy processing and molding, and excellent mechanical properties. Altering the surface properties of the already available polymers is therefore the most followed approach. Various surface modification methods have been studied extensively, resulting in enhancement of the hemocompatibility by decreasing either late-stage restenosis or acute thrombogenicity. This chapter focuses specifically on nonthermal plasma technology, as it is a well-established surface modification and has proved to be successful for various applications related to biomedical materials