A printing-spray-transfer process for attaching biocompatible and antibacterial coatings to the surfaces of patient-specific silicone stents

Abstract

An antibacterial coating with stable antibacterial properties and favorable biocompatibility is recognized as an effective method to prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on biomedical implant surfaces. In this study, a convenient and low-cost printing-spray-transfer process was proposed that enables reliably attaching antibacterial and biocompatible coatings to patient-specific silicone implant surfaces. A desktop three-dimensional printer was used to print the mold of silicone implant molds according to the characteristics of the diseased areas. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) uniformly decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs/CNTs) were synthesized as the antibacterial materials for the spray process. The well-distributed AgNPs/CNT coating was anchored to the silicone surface through an in-mold transfer printing process. Stable adhesion of the coatings was assessed via tape testing and UV–vis spectra. Hardly any AgNPs/CNTs peeled off the substrate, and the adhesion was rated at 4B. Antibacterial activity, Ag release, cell viability and morphology were further assessed, revealing high antibacterial activity and great biocompatibility. The process proposed herein has potential applications for fabricating stable antibacterial coatings on silicone implant surfaces, especially for patient-specific silicone implants such as silicone tracheal stents.

Artificial neural network for cytocompatibility and antibacterial enhancement induced by femtosecond laser micro/nano structures

“…Bacteriostasis is another significant property for the implant, so many studies have also explored the surface structures with antibacterial properties [9][10][11]. Inspired by the antimicrobial attachment performance of lotus leaf, Cheng et al [12] investigated the micro/nanoscale roughness effects on surface wetting by intentionally altering the lotus leave structures while keeping the chemical composition approximately the same, results showed that the combination of the microscale mounds and the nano-scale hair-like structures caused the antiadhesion and self-cleaning ability.…”

Metal oxide-doped elastomeric materials for amplifying visible light-based antimicrobial activity

“…The combination of violet-blue light treatment and photosensitisers for surface decontamination has the potential for wide use in healthcare applications. The biocompatibility and stability of TiO 2 allows for its incorporation into a range of polymeric materials for medical devices, including commonly used elastomers [22,23] such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). It can be incorporated into materials by a range of different methods [17] that either result in surface coating or bulk doping.…”