GLOW-DISCHARGE PLASMA DEPOSITION OF TETRAETHYLENE GLYCOL DIMETHYL ETHER FOR FOULING-RESISTANT BIOMATERIAL SURFACES

The glow discharge plasma deposition (GDPD) of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether is introduced as a novel method for obtaining surfaces that are resistant to protein adsorption and cellular attachment. Analysis of films by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and several biological assays indicate the formation of a fouling-resistant, PEO-like surface on several substrata (e.g., glass, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene). Adsorption of I-125-radiolabelled proteins (fibrinogen, albumin and IgG) from buf fer and plasma was very low (typically < 20 ng/cm2) when compared to the untreated substrata, which exhibited much higher levels of protein adsorption. Not all coated substrata adsorbed equal amounts of protein (e.g., coated glass samples typically adsorbed more protein than coated polyethylene or coated polytetrafluoroethylene samples), suggesting that the substratum used may affect the amount of protein adsorbed. Measurement of dynamic platelet adhesion, using epifluorescent video microscopy, and endothelial cell attachment further demonstrates the short-term nonadhesiveness of these surfaces.