SURFACE-PROPERTIES OF CATHETERS, STENTS AND BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH URINARY-TRACT INFECTIONS

Applications of surface and physico-chemical techniques to the clinica l setting, in particular related to the urogenital tract, have been sp oradic, often concentrating on aspects of biocompatibility and interac tions of blood cells with materials. In an era where billions of such devices are implanted annually, it is important to utilize such techni ques to improve our understanding of material-host interactions. In an effort to encourage further such interactive investigations, this rev iew will illustrate some practical biomedical examples where utilizati on of sophisticated surface-science techniques has provided valuable i nsight into interfacial events between host components, micro-organism s and material surfaces. Techniques to reduce bacterial infection and encrustations will be discussed, and suggestions given for future line s of enquiry.