Polymers are frequently utilized in blood-contacting biomaterials. Although, these materials exhibit generally favourable mechanical properties, the presence of these artificial surfaces in contact with blood initiates the mechanisms of thrombosis. This occurrence may, in turn, lead to a variety of serious clinical complications. A great deal of work has been done in this laboratory in the past to investigate the interactions of a variety of proteins (particularly coagulation proteins) with artificial surfaces. This interaction is believed to be the initial step in the physiological response to artificial surfaces in contact with blood. A secondary but equally important process is the adhesion and activation of blood platelets to artificial surfaces which may then lead to the formation of thrombi. The work performed here involves the investigation of platelet-surface interactions with a variety of surfaces, primarily a series of sulphonate ion-containing polyurethanes. Similar polymers have been shown by other researchers to exhibit favourable blood-contacting responses while retaining the attractive mechanical properties of polyurethanes in general. To perform the work outlined above, a novel cone and plate device was designed and built which enables the experimenter to investigate platelet-surface interactions under varying shear flow conditions. Collagen and albumin-coated test surfaces were utilized to investigate the platelet adhesion results generated in the device with varying fluid shear rate and time. A typical adhesion time response curve was generated with increasing levels of adhesion noted for increasing shear rate, as expected due to increased platelet transport to the surface. As well, effective platelet diffusion coefficients were calculated from the adhesion data collected using the collagen surface and was found to agree broadly with those found by other researchers. A series of sulphonated polyurethanes were synthesized and both the bulk and surface properties were characterized. A variety of polymer sulphonate concentrations were achieved by use of different constituent molecules (specifically chain extenders and polyols). The polymers, in general, showed high levels of water absorption and increased hydrophilicity in comparison to non-sulphonated analogs.
The cone and plate device was used to investigate the platelet adhesion response in a shear flow environment to these surfaces. In general, sulphonate incorporation resulted in a dramatic increase in the level of adhesion to the polyurethane surfaces, indicating that platelets are able to form adhesive interactions with sulphonate functional groups. Platelet adhesion levels to the sulphonated polyurethanes exhibited both time and shear rate dependence. However, differences in adhesion levels between the sulphonated polyurethanes did not appear to be a simple function of the sulphonate concentration. This may indicate that the local environment of the incorporated sulphonate groups in the polyurethane can affect the ability of these groups to interact with the platelet membrane. / Thesis / Master of Engineering (ME)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/23091 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Skarja, Gary |
| Contributors | Brash, J. L., Chemical Engineering |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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