Coatings & surface treatment
Hydrophilic coatings remain a dominant segment for low-friction catheters and guidewires in minimally invasive surgery, but we are starting to see demand for dual-function coatings that also resist biofilm and extend in vivo life. So, what might tomorrow’s coatings look like and how might that help reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections? Abi Millar talks to Hongyu Zhang, an associate professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing, about the latest innovations.
describing water-swellable or lubricious surfaces that reduce friction during insertion of medical devices. Commercial hydrophilic-coated catheters were introduced in the early 1980s, followed shortly by guidewires with similar surface treatments later that decade. Since then, they have been used across endoscopes, surgical tools, needles and implants among others, improving patient comfort and surgical precision. They also minimise trauma to the body and improve biocompatibility.
Slippery when wet H
ydrophilic coatings are not a new idea. Patents for hydrophilic polymer coatings began appearing in the mid-1960s,
endoscopy; coatings enhanced with nanoparticles for drug delivery.
In other words, while the basic concept has been around for decades, today’s hydrophilic coatings are evolving into something more sophisticated and multifunctional. Their main purpose is still lubricity – enhancing the ‘wettability’ of a device and reducing friction. But they are also likely to have other properties too, not least controlling infection, extending the device lifespan and even releasing medicines.
Sorely needed
Market analysis from Mordor Intelligence estimates the global hydrophilic coatings segment at roughly $7bn in 2025 and projects growth to around $10– 11bn by 2030–31, corresponding to an annual CAGR of 6–7%. The market is growing particularly rapidly within the Asia-Pacific region, where device approvals are more streamlined. And while it remains dominated by catheters and guidewires, we are also starting to see new applications: microfluidics- on-a-chip for point-of-care diagnostics; AI-enabled
It is clear why these functions are in demand. In the absence of the right kind of coating, bacteria can start to colonise the medical device, leading to biofilm formation. Biofilms are structured, ordered communities of bacteria, rather like cities for pathogens, and they are challenging to eradicate – not least because they show strong antibiotic resistance. In orthopaedic surgery, postoperative infection rates are typically around 1–4% depending on implant type, while dental implant infection (peri-implantitis) occurs
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www.medicaldevice-developments.com
www.medicaldevice-developments.com
maltez solstice/
Shutterstock.com
maltez solstice/
Shutterstock.com
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