A Vascular Graft On-a-Chip Platform for Assessing the Thrombogenicity of Vascular Prosthesis and Coatings with Tuneable Flow and Surface Conditions

Vascular grafts are essential for the management of cardiovascular disease. However, the lifesaving potential of these devices is undermined by thrombosis arising from material and flow interactions on the blood contacting surface. To combat this issue, antithrombogenic coatings have emerged as a promising strategy for modulating blood and graft interaction in vivo. Although an important determinant of graft performance, hemodynamics are frequently overlooked for in vitro testing of coatings and their translatability remains poorly understood. Herein, this limitation is addressed with a microscale graft on-a-chip platform incorporating vascular prosthesis and coatings with tuneable flow and surface conditions in vitro. As a proof of concept, the platform is used to test the thrombogenicity of a novel class of lubricant-infused surface (LIS) and antibody lubricant-infused (anti-CD34 LIS) coated expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) vascular grafts in the presence of arterial wall shear stress with and without endothelial cells. The findings suggest LIS ePTFE is thromboresistant under flow with significantly reduced fibrin(ogen) deposition, thrombin activity, and blood cell adhesion compared to uncoated controls. It is moreover apparent that the microscale properties of the device are advantageous for the testing and translation of novel antithrombogenic coatings and blood-contacting materials in general.

Automated summary

Vascular grafts are crucial for managing cardiovascular diseases, but their effectiveness is hindered by blood clotting. Antithrombogenic coatings have emerged as a promising solution. However, the translatability of these coatings and their testing in vitro often overlooks hemodynamics. This study introduces a microscale graft on-a-chip platform to test antithrombogenic coatings, demonstrating the effectiveness of a lubricant-infused surface in preventing blood clot formation.