Nanotexturing for Biomedical Implants

It is known the foreign body response to implants, such as breast implants, includes a “walling off” of the implant, or a capsule formation. Previously, texturing has been shown to reduce this capsule formation, using methods such as polyurethane coatings [11-15]. A new proposed texturing method is using electrospinning to produce nanofibers. The objective of this research is to coat water-soluble hydrophilic fibers (poly (ethylene oxide)) (PEO)) with a hydrophobic polymer film (Arbomatrix©) to preserve the fiber texturing effect with future use as a slow controlled drug delivery coating. Arbomatrix (poly (isobutylene-b-p-methylstyrene)) is an elastomeric polymer that is bioinert with mechanical properties similar to silicone rubber. The proposed work will consist of three layers, a substrate, electrospun PEO nanofiber, and a thin continuous coating of Arbomatrix film. When combined, the texturing from the PEO fibers combined with the Arbomatrix coating, a hydrophobic surface can be obtained which promotes cell adhesion while the low permeability of the thin polymer coating ensures a slow and prolonged drug release profile.Coating options include spin coating, electrospraying, vacuum coating, electrospraying with vacuum coating, or soaking. The PEO nanofibers were able to be coated using the soaking method, and then characterized.Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to detect the oxygen content on the surface of the coated fibers which would indicate PEO fibers exposed. The detection of oxygen was a little as 2% on these samples. The highest water contact angle (WCA) achieved was 107°, the WCA of Arbomatrix film alone is around 95°. This shows although the fibers were coated, the texturing effect did not improve the hydrophobicity as was hoped. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to view the surface of the coated fibers and the structures were analyzed with ImageJ analysis. Finally, protein adsorption on the Arbomatrix polymer films and electrospun nanofibers was completed. It was shown the protein adsorption on the nanofiber mats to be twice the amount on the films. The protein adsorption to the Arbomatrix film was less than that of silicone.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Akron

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Chase, Rebecca M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Puskas, Judit

• Chemical Engineering

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1366030056

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:akron1366030056