Effects of Ar fast atom beam and Ar plasma irradiations on the biocompatibility of polymeric materials

Currently, various polymeric materials are used as biological materials in ventricular-assist devices or vascular grafts. However, platelets adhesion occurs in the artificial blood vessels or ventricular-assist devices made of usual polymeric materials. It is known that the hydrophilicity of the surface of polymeric materials can be enhanced by plasma irradiation or ion beam irradiation, and the biocompatibility of polymer material can be improved. However, the detailed effects of the surface treatments have not been understood in term of improvement in the biocompatibility. In the present study, the effects of the surface treatments using Ar FAB (fast atomic beam) and Ar plasma irradiation are compared between several selected polymers such as PET, PDMS, and PTFE.