IMPROVED BIOCOMPATIBILITY OF PERITONEAL DIALYSIS TUBING

THE DEVELOPMENT OF MINIATURE DIALYSIS TUBING THAT CAN BE IMPLANTED WITHIN THE BODY WILL MAKE POSSIBLE IN VIVO COLLECTION OF SHORT HALF-LIFE METABOLITES WITHIN THE INTERSTITIAL FLUID FROM ANIMALS AND ULTIMATELY HUMANS. HOWEVER, BEFORE SAFE IMPLANTATION OF TUBING CAN BE DONE, THEBIOCOMPATIBILITIES OF THESE MATERIALS MUST BE IMPROVED. DURING THIS PROJECT IT IS PLANNED TO COVALENTLY ATTACH FACTORS TO COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE DIALYSIS TUBING. THIS IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE ITS BIOCOMPATIBILITY WITH LIVING SYSTEMS WITHOUT IMPAIRING DIALYSIS PERFORMANCE. THE DIALYSIS PERFORMANCE MAY BE IMPROVED BY THE ATTACHMENT OF SOME OF THESE COMPATIBILITY FACTORS TO MAKE THIS TECHNOLOGY EVEN MORE ATTRACTIVE. BIO-METRIC SYSTEMS, INC. WILL DEMONSTRATE THE COVALENT ATTACHMENT OF THESE FACTORS TO DIALYSIS TUBING, COMPARE THE IN VITRO COMPATIBILITIES OF MODIFIED AND CONTROL TUBINGS, AND ANALYZE THE PERFORMANCE OFSURFACE-MODIFIED MATERIALS. THIS PHASE I PROJECT SHOULD ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS TECHNOLOGY AND SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR OPTIMIZATION OF COUPLING CHEMISTRIES AND IN VITRO TESTING DURING PHASE II RESEARCH.