Researchers at Tomsk University of Technology in Russia have proposed a new method to cover the plasma-treated surface with a thin coating of graphene oxide to improve the performance of implants used to restore damaged organs. Related research was published in the journal "Surface and Coating Technology".
An important direction of today's biomedical research is to improve the performance of polymeric framework materials (such as implants). After these cells are "injected" into the required cells or drugs, they are implanted into the damaged organ area, and then gradually Dissolve and replace with your own body tissue.
Anna Lipovka, a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry and Biomedical Technology at Tomsk University of Technology, said that although contemporary polymer architectures have good mechanical properties, their use is still limited by a serious problem: the production materials of polymer architectures are Water molecules "wet through" when they act. The hydrophobicity will deteriorate the binding of cells and their pressure, and increase the decomposition period of the body's polymeric framework. Among the existing methods for improving the hydrophobicity, the most effective method is to perform plasma treatment, but after a few days, the effect of the plasma treatment will be weakened, and it will disappear completely after a few weeks, thereby deteriorating the survival rate.
To improve its performance, the researchers decided to cover the plasma-treated surface with a thin layer of graphene oxide. The nano-material of graphene oxide coating is highly hydrophilic, and the hydrophilicity does not deteriorate with time.
The researchers found that the materials treated by the above methods maintained the necessary hydrophilicity for a relatively long time, thereby improving the performance of the implants used to restore damaged organs. This is a major achievement in the development of safe implant materials. In the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, tumor diseases and a series of other diseases, implant materials are urgently needed in contemporary restoration surgery.
Researchers at Tomsk University of Technology also plan to collaborate with researchers at King’s College London in the United Kingdom to use laser processing to make conductive layers, which will help monitor the condition of the polymeric framework in the body.