Heparin Coatings
Heparin has been used clinically for decades as an intravenous anticoagulant to treat inherent clotting disorders and to prevent blood clot formation during surgery and interventional procedures. When heparin is immobilized onto the surface of medical device material, it improves the performance of the material when it comes in contact with blood as follows:
- Provides local catalytic activity to inhibit several enzymes critical to the formation of fibrin (which holds thrombi together)
- Reduces the adsorption of blood proteins, many of which lead to undesirable reactions on the device surface
- Reduces the adhesion and activation of platelets, which are primary components of thrombus
Applause™ Heparin Coatings improve the blood compatibility of medical device surfaces. Using the PhotoLink® coating process, photoactivated coupling methods can be used to covalently bind heparin to a device surface. The coating bound to the surface serves to shield the blood from the underlying medical device material, such that the blood components only “see” the coated surface and respond accordingly. The chemical and physical properties of the immobilized coating reduce the likelihood for blood components to adhere and activate, thus reducing the formation of thrombus or emboli (blood clots that release and travel downstream).
