SBIR Phase II: ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) Plasma Treatment of Polymer Tubing Such As Catheters

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop new techniques to treat both internal and external surfaces of polymer tubing such as catheters. The treatments will modify the surfaces to facilitate attachment of bioactive coatings, clean, sterilize, or reduce friction; similar processes can also deposit organic or inorganic coatings. Plasmas driven by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) will treat the lumen and external surfaces more uniformly, and over a greater range of parameters, than conventional plasmas and can be spatially localized to provide different effects on each. The ECR plasma process should be expandable to large-scale, low-cost commercial production coating and surface modification of catheters. Surface treatments to facilitate attachment of bioactive coatings to hemodialysis and other catheter types would have societal benefits by extending the period between catheter replacements clear therapeutic and economic.