Superamphiphobic blood-repellent surface modification of porous fluoropolymer membranes for blood oxygenation applications

Biomedical gas exchange membranes used for blood oxygenation, including extracorporeal membrane oxygen-ators (ECMO) and artificial lung technology, have suffered from the insufficient hemocompatibility of membrane materials. Despite over 50 years of membrane oxygenation (MO) technology development, a few hydrophobic membrane materials are now available on the market. Since the hydrophobic nature of the membrane promotes protein fouling which causes thrombus formation, various anti-thrombogenic and anti-fouling coating techniques have been applied to improve the hemocompatibility and lifetime of membranes for long-term MO and implanted artificial lung applications. Here, for the first time, we have developed a superamphiphobic blood-repellent structure on a porous fluoropolymer (PVDF-HFP) based membrane for blood MO application. The PVDF-HFP nanoparticles were electrosprayed on the porous membrane surface and thermally fused to secure physical stability followed by perfluoro-silane coating with a biocompatible adhesive. A soot-like re-entrance structure was successfully generated on the membrane surface, resulting in high water, blood, and hexadecane contact angles over 150. The modified membranes have excellent anti-fouling properties with competitive blood oxygen performance, implying promising surface properties for long-term MO and artificial lung applications.

Automated summary

Researchers have developed a superamphiphobic blood-repellent structure on a porous fluoropolymer membrane for blood oxygenation. By modifying the membrane surface, they have achieved excellent anti-fouling properties and compatibility with blood, making it suitable for long-term blood oxygenation and artificial lung applications.