Bulk Modification of Thermoplastic Polyurethanes for Self‐Sterilization of Trachea Intubation

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. e2000318 - n/a
• Main Authors: Guo, Yifan, Zhang, Hongfa, Duan, Shun, Ding, Xiaokang, Hu, Yang, Ding, Xuejia, Xu, Fu‐Jian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.02.2021
• Subjects: antibacterial; Antibacterial materials; Biocompatibility; Biomaterials; Biomedical materials; blending; Catheters; Chitosan; Cytotoxicity; Intubation; Mechanical properties; medical catheter; Medical equipment; Polyurethane; Polyurethane resins; R&D; Research & development; Sterilization; Surgical implants; Toxicity; Trachea; Tubes; Urethane thermoplastic elastomers; medical catheter; chitosan; antibacterial; polyurethane; blending
• ISSN: 1616-5187; 1616-5195
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202000318

Implantable medical devices are widely used, but biomaterial‐associated infections (BAIs) impose a huge economic burden and increase the mortality of patients. Therefore, BAIs are a serious concern that must be urgently resolved. Materials with antibacterial properties have become hotspots of current research and development. In the present work, quaternized chitosan (QCS) is used as an antibacterial agent and blended with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) to create an antibacterial material for tracheal intubation tubes. The modified TPU material (QCS‐TPU) exhibited good mechanical properties and excellent long‐term antibacterial performance. Under in vitro hydrodynamic conditions, QCS‐TPU retained its strong antibacterial properties. QCS‐TPU also possessed a low hemolysis rate and cytotoxicity. The current work is expected to provide a facile and feasible strategy for the preparation of antibacterial catheters and aid in the discovery of promising clinical applications to prevent BAIs. Self‐sterilization of trachea intubation (QCS‐TPU) is performed by blending quaternized chitosan (QCS) with a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix. The QCS‐TPU composite achieves long‐term antibacterial performance, low hemolysis rate, and low cytotoxicity with acceptable fluctuation of mechanical properties. Therefore, this article provides a new strategy for research on antibacterial catheters in the medical field.