Bio-Performance of Hydrothermally and Plasma-Treated Titanium: The New Generation of Vascular Stents

Abstract

The research presented herein follows an urgent global need for the development of novel surface engineering techniques that would allow the fabrication of next-generation cardiovascular stents, which would drastically reduce cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The combination of hydrothermal treatment (HT) and treatment with highly reactive oxygen plasma (P) allowed for the formation of an oxygen-rich nanostructured surface. The morphology, surface roughness, chemical composition and wettability of the newly prepared oxide layer on the Ti substrate were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle (WCA) analysis. The alteration of surface characteristics influenced the material’s bio-performance; platelet aggregation and activation was reduced on surfaces treated by hydrothermal treatment, as well as after plasma treatment. Moreover, it was shown that surfaces treated by both treatment procedures (HT and P) promoted the adhesion and proliferation of vascular endothelial cells, while at the same time inhibiting the adhesion and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. The combination of both techniques presents a novel approach for the fabrication of vascular implants, with superior characteristics.

Investigation of Shape Transformations of Vesicles, Induced by Their Adhesion to Flat Substrates Characterized by Different Adhesion Strength

“…Thus, it is important to be able to model the shape transformation at the level of a single cell to understand the behavior of large adhering collections of cells. The results of our mathematical modeling of adhesion may be useful in explanation of the behavior of cells cultures confined and grown on a flat substrate [23], as well as in biomedical applications such as protection of the adhesion of platelets to vascular stents [24,25].…”

Surface Modification and Functionalities for Titanium Dental Implants

“…Various types of Ti implants are widely used in clinical medical restoration. Figure A-G illustrates the application of Ti implants in various human tissues, including skull, , dental implant, − joint replacement, , bone scaffold, knee, and stent . Scientific research on Ti implants has been a hot topic and continues to grow in popularity.…”

“…Figure 2A-G illustrates the application of Ti implants in various human tissues, including skull, 21,22 dental implant, 23−25 joint replacement, 26,27 bone scaffold, 28 knee, 29 and stent. 30 Scientific research on Ti implants has been a hot topic and continues to grow in popularity. As shown in Figure 2H, the statistical analysis of the literature by Web of Science shows that the related studies are up to 44,705 in the past 20 years and is growing rapidly.…”

Nanoporous Stainless Steel Materials for Body Implants—Review of Synthesizing Procedures

“…Corrosion resistance, ion release and mechanical stability of formed oxides on the surface should also be considered to prevent undesired infections or failures of medical implants. In addition, nanostructured oxide surfaces could offer additional benefits in terms of cell adhesion and selectivity, as it is already a well-known fact that cells react differently to specific surface nanofeatures [ 16 , 17 ]. There are alternative methods of oxidation using non-equilibrium techniques such as gaseous plasma, which may also enable surface nanostructuring, but they may not be practical in all applications.…”