EVALUATION OF SLIPPERINESS OF CATHETER SURFACES

A test method is described that allows the characterization of the sub jective feeling of lubricity of catheter surfaces in a quantitative wa y. The test consists in pulling out, by a weight, a catheter tubing fr om a test tube filled with agar. Results show that the surface of a po lyurethane catheter tubing coated with the hydrophilic poly( hydroxyet hylmethacrylate)is readily hydrated by the water contained in the agar . The hydrogel coated tubing slides very quickly, due to the lubricati ng surface layer of water. The untreated polyurethane tubing and the s ame tubing after plasma treatment were definitely less slippery than t he poly( hydroxyethylmethacrylate) coated ones. Atomic force microscop y was used to evaluate the contribution of the surface morphology of t he samples to the obtained results. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.