Medical devices are an essential part of the human healthcare system. However, one of the major issues associated with their use is the development of medical device related infections (MDRIs) following bacterial colonisation and subsequent biofilm formation on the surface of the device. Different medical device coatings have been designed to help inhibit biofilm development. Antibacterial coatings include those that are contact active, antibacterial drug eluting or those with altered surface energies. The aim of this research was to develop strategies, which can be used to prevent the initial attachment and proliferation of microorganisms on biomaterial surfaces. Multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis was used to investigate the relationship between various drug physicochemical parameters and drug release from different hydrogel networks, which can be used alone or as a coating on medical devices such as urinary catheters. Models generated from this analysis were capable of accurately predicting the time for specific percentage release of drugs not used to derive the original models. An antibacterial quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) with thiol functionality was covalently immobilised on the surface of PVC. This created an anti-infective surface capable of preventing the adherence of two clinically important pathogens. A series of nature inspired slippery liquid infused porous surfaces were fabricated on the surface of PVC using textured silver coatings infused with different ionic liquids. As well as altering the PVC surface energy microbial adherence studies showed these materials were also capable of reducing, or in some cases preventing bacterial attachment and subsequent biofilm formation. The proposed techniques and materials developed in this thesis could be extremely useful in the fight against MDRIs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:680887 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Bell, Rory Anthony |
| Publisher | Queen's University Belfast |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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