Infection is a serious medical complication associated with health care environments. Despite advances, the 5-10% incidence of infections for hospital patients is well documented. Sources of pathogenic organisms include medical devices such as catheters and endotracheal tubes. Offering guidance for curbing the spread of such infections, a model antimicrobial coating is described herein that kills bacteria on contact but is compatible with human cells. To achieve these characteristics, a novel blend of a conventional biomedical grade polyurethane (Tecoflex) with mixed soft block polyurethane is described. The functional polyurethane (UP-C12-50-T) has a copolyoxetane soft block P-C12-50 with quaternary ammonium (C12) and PEG-like side chains and a conventional poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO, T) soft block. DSC and DMA data point to limited miscibility of UP-C12-50-T with Tecoflex. The blend of Tecoflex with 10 wt % UP-C12-50-T designated UP-C12-50-T-10 radically changed surface properties. Evidence for surface concentration of the P-C12-50 soft block was obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic contact angles (DCAs), zeta potentials (ζ), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The antimicrobial effectiveness of the blend coatings was established by the ASTM E2149 "shake flask" test for challenges of E. coli and a methicillin resistant strain of S. epidermidis. Cytocompatibility was demonstrated with an in vitro test designed for direct contact (ISO 10993-5). Growth of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) beside and under UP-C12-50-T-10 indicated remarkable biocompatibility for a composition that is also strongly antimicrobial. Overall, the results point to a model coating with a level of P-C12-50 that combines high antimicrobial effectiveness and low toxicity to human cells.
Keywords: AFM; antimicrobial coating; cytocompatible; human mesenchymal stem cells; methicillin resistant; polyurethane; surface modifier; zeta potentials.