MODIFICATION OF BIOMATERIAL SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS BY BODY-FLUIDS IN-VITRO

In practice, polyvinyl chloride endotracheal tubes and polyurethane ur inary catheters are located in areas where they are exposed to the con ditioning fluids saliva and urine, respectively. Samples of both bioma terials were incubated in these conditioning fluids and, following tre atment, dynamic contact angle measurement and surface roughness assess ment by atomic force microscopy were used to analyse surface character istics. Over a 24 h period of contact with the conditioning fluids, th e surface of both materials became significantly more hydrophilic (p < 0.05) and non-uniform changes in surface roughness were observed. Thi s study has shown that in vitro treatment of polyvinyl chloride and po lyurethane with conditioning body fluids alters the surface characteri stics of the biomaterials and this effect is progressive with time as determined by surface advancing contact angle measurement. (C) 1997 El sevier Science B.V.