Mechanisms for Reduced Fibrin Clot Formation on Liquid‐Infused Surfaces

Abstract

Biomedical devices are prone to blood clot formation (thrombosis), and liquid-infused surfaces (LIS) are effective in reducing the thrombotic response. However, the mechanisms that underpin this performance, and in particular the role of the lubricant, are not well understood. In this work, it is investigated whether the mechanism of LIS action is related to i) inhibition of factor XII (FXII) activation and the contact pathway; ii) reduced fibrin density of clots formed on surfaces; iii) increased mobility of proteins or cells on the surface due to the interfacial flow of the lubricant. The chosen LIS is covalently tethered, nanostructured layers of perfluorocarbons, infused with thin films of medical-grade perfluorodecalin (tethered-liquid perfluorocarbon), prepared with chemical vapor deposition previously optimized to retain lubricant under flow. Results show that in the absence of external flow, interfacial mobility is inherently higher at the liquid-blood interface, making it a key contributor to the low thrombogenicity of LIS, as FXII activity and fibrin density are equivalent at the interface. The findings of this study advance the understanding of the anti-thrombotic behavior of LIS-coated biomedical devices for future coating design. More broadly, enhanced interfacial mobility may be an important, underexplored mechanism for the anti-fouling behavior of surface coatings.

Bioinspired Approaches to Engineer Antithrombogenic Medical Devices for Vascular Intervention

“…23,30,32 However, relatively underexplored properties such as interfacial mobility and substrate stiffness as possible contributing factors in the context of materials thrombosis may be worthy of further studies. 143,144…”

“…Interfacial mobility as a mechanism contributing to reduced thrombosis on materials remains an underexplored area and could prove to be an important property to consider in the design of new biomaterials with reduced thrombogenicity. 144…”

“…However, a contributing mechanism to reduced fibrin clot adhesion was attributed to the enhanced interfacial mobility. 144 This suggests that mobility may play a role in reducing coagulation by limiting coagulation factor accumulation that normally occurs on solid surfaces, providing a nidus for thrombus formation. The role of mobility in platelet and leukocyte interactions remains to be explored.…”

Biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in spaceflight is minimized on Lubricant Impregnated Surfaces

“…It is well-established that oil-water interfaces can capture protein and nucleic acids 47 ; and in some cases, the surface forces are strong enough to denature proteins [48][49][50] . Characterization of the protein adsorption/denaturing process on oil-infused textured surfaces, as LIS, remains to be done 51,52 . Thus, it is possible that the nucleic acids denatured such that the hydrophobic portions partition into the oil phase of the LIS, leaving the hydrophilic phosphate backbone facing towards the aqueous culture environment.…”

How Crystallographic Orientation‐Induced Fibrinogen Conformation Affects Platelet Adhesion and Activation on TiO2

“…Despite continuous progress being made in the field of healthcare materials, thrombogenicity is still a major prevalent problem that occurs after implantation of heart valves, stents, and other medical devices in contact with blood. [1][2][3] As a result, patients with mechanical heart valves require a life-long treatment with anti-coagulant drugs. [4] Thrombogenicity is a problematic phenomenon of pathological clot formation on healthcare materials' surfaces.…”