Innovative biocompatible polymers containing phosphorylcholine (PC) are being used to reduce biofouling and to improve the performance of medical devices.

PC Technology is a proprietary platform of methacrylate polymers incorporating phosphorylcholine, a zwitterionic material, which means it has both a positive and a negative charge on the same molecule, but is overall electrochemically neutral. This confers the PC group with high polarity and consequently a natural affinity for water. As a result, materials that incorporate the PC group are surrounded by molecular layers of water that effectively mask the substrate to which it is applied, providing a biological “non-stick” surface that resists protein and cell adhesion.

As a result, when PC is coated on or incorporated into a material, protein and lipid deposition is decreased; adhesion of bacteria and other micro-organisms is discouraged; biofilm and clot formation is minimized; inflammatory response is reduced; and fibrous capsule generation is diminished. By inhibiting the initial adsorption of proteins, PC materials provide an inert, non-thrombogenic surface; the improved hemocompatibility can significantly suppress the usual response of the body to a foreign material. Examples of materials that use PC technology include contact lenses, coronary stents, and urological catheters.

PC biomaterials have been used to successfully coat metals (including stainless steel, nitinol, titanium, gold, and platinum), rubbers (including silicone, latex, and butyl), a range of plastics (including polyethylene, polyvinylchloride (PVC), and polycarbonate), glass, and ceramics. PC technology is available form Vertellus Biomaterials (Herriard, United Kingdom).

Phosphorylcholine is a polar head group found in many phospholipids, particularly those that form the bi-layers that make up cell membranes.

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