Improving the Hydrophobicity of Plasticized Polyvinyl Chloride for Use in an Endotracheal Tube.
Lavinia MarcutAurel George MohanIuliana CorneschiElena GrosuGheorghe PăltâneaIonela AvramAlexandra Valentina BadalutaGabriel VasilieviciCristian-Andi NicolaeLia Mara DițuPublished in: Materials (Basel, Switzerland) (2023)
An endotracheal tube (ETT) is a greatly appreciated medical device at the global level with widespread application in the treatment of respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis and asthma, and in general anesthesia, to provide narcotic gases. Since an important quantitative request for cuffed ETTs was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about infection have risen. The plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material used to manufacture ETTs favors the attachment of microorganisms from the human biological environment and the migration of plasticizer from the polymer that feeds the microorganisms and promotes the growth of biofilms. This leads to developing infections, which means additional suffering, discomfort for patients, and increased hospital costs. In this work, we propose to modify the surfaces of some samples taken from commercial ETTs in order to develop their hydrophobic character using surface fluorination by a plasma treatment in SF6 discharge and magnetron sputtering physical evaporation from the PTFE target. Samples with surfaces thus modified were subsequently tested using XPS, ATR-FTIR, CA, SEM + EDAX, profilometry, density, Shore A hardness, TGA-DSC, and biological antimicrobial and biocompatibility properties. The obtained results demonstrate a successful increase in the hydrophobic character of the plasticized PVC samples and biocompatibility properties.
Keyphrases
- healthcare
- end stage renal disease
- chronic kidney disease
- endothelial cells
- staphylococcus aureus
- ejection fraction
- newly diagnosed
- mental health
- biofilm formation
- escherichia coli
- ionic liquid
- physical activity
- pseudomonas aeruginosa
- prognostic factors
- combination therapy
- peritoneal dialysis
- candida albicans
- cystic fibrosis
- oxidative stress
- patient reported
- electronic health record