ION-BOMBARDMENT INTO INNER WALL SURFACES OF TUBES AND THEIR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

A study has been made of ion bombardment into the inner wall surfaces of tubes to develop hybrid type, small diameter artificial vascular gr afts. Substrates used were polystyrene with an inside diameter of 2 mm and segmented polyurethane (SPU) coated glass tube with an inside dia meter of 1.5 mm. Ne-ion bombardment into inner wall surfaces of tubes was performed at an energy of 150 keV with an average fluence of 4 x 1 0(14) ions/cm(2) at an incident angle of about 88.3 degrees. The surfa ce modification of inner wall surfaces was examined by X-ray photoelec tron spectroscopy, which showed the presence of amorphous carbon struc tures in the inner surfaces of Ne bombarded tubes. Endothelialization was performed on the Ne-bombarded SPU coated inner wall of a glass tub e, although it could not be done without ion bombardment. A femoral ar tery has been replaced by the new artificial graft, and exposed to blo od for 24 hours. The new graft demonstrated 100% patency. The developm ent of artificial vascular grafts will be feasible by ion beam modific ation of inner wall surfaces of tubes.