Cell growth on surface modified medical polymers

Cellular reactions to implantable medical devices are dominated by the surface properties of materials from which the device is constructed. Consequently, in recent times much effort has been expended on modifying material surface properties to control bioactivity. We examine the effect of exposing surfaces to ultra-violet (UV) light from excimer lasers (λ, = 193 nm) in a room air environment. Working below the threshold of ablation, samples of nylon-12 and PET were treated. Physical and chemical studies of the surfaces following treatment demonstrated an increase in sample hydrophilicity, though no significant increases in roughness were recorded. Spectroscopic analyses revealed increased oxygen content in the surface layers while there were no chemical alterations in the bulk material. The assessment of in vitro interactions concerning the polymer samples and 3T3 fibroblast cells was conducted using cell counting, viability assays and a confocal microscopic analysis of cytoskeletal fluorescent staining. Results from cell counting and the viability tests confirmed that, subsequent to treatment, there was an increase in cell population on the surface, while improved spreading and activity was observed by confocal microscopy.