The biocompatibility of the tantalum and tantalum oxide films synthesized by pulse metal vacuum arc source deposition

The surface modification technique is extensively employed to improve and control biocompatibility for blood and cell attachment. In this paper, tantalum thin films were synthesized by pulsed metal vacuum are source deposition, the tantalum oxide films were fabricated by tantalum films heated at 700 degrees C for 1 h in air. The films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD). In vitro investigations of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) on Ta, tantalum oxide films, 316L stainless steel and CP-Ti revealed that the growth and proliferation behavior of endothelial cells on the sample surfaces varied significantly. The adherence, growth, shape and proliferation of endothelial cells on tantalum and tantalum oxide films were much better than 316L stainless steel and CP-Ti. The Ta and tantalum oxide films shown to fulfill the requirements necessary for the application as a blood-contacting device (such as stent) coating. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.