University of B.C. researchers have developed a coating that could make medical devices safer for millions of patients, reducing the risks associated with blood clots and dangerous bleeding.
The work has been published in Nature Materials . The new material , designed to mimic the natural behavior of blood vessels, could allow for safer use of blood-contacting devices like catheters, stents, blood-oxygenation machines and dialysis machines—especially in cases where blood clots are a significant concern. "This discovery could be a transformative step in the development of safer medical devices," said Dr.
Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Immunomodulation Materials and Immunotherapy who led the study out of the Center for Blood Research at UBC. "By designing a coating that mimics the body's natural approach to preventing clots, we've created a solution that could dramatically reduce the need for risky blood thinners before and after patients use these devices." Thrombosis, or clot formation, is a major challenge when blood-contacting devices are used.
Unlike natural blood vessels, these devices can trigger clotting by activating specific proteins in the blood. Blood clots can obstruct the device, disrupting treatment, or lead to severe complications such as stroke and heart attack. Doctors often prescribe high doses of blood thinners to prevent clots on these devices, but this approach increases th.