Researchers from Tomsk Polytechnic University, as part of an international research team, have developed a titanium nanocoatings technology to extend the life of coronary stents and protect them from clotting. Moreover, the proposed method of creating the coatings can be used in the semiconductor industry and optics. The research findings are published in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (Q1; IF:8,128). For more details about the innovation, see the RIA News agency materials.
Film nanocoatings are produced based on titanium oxides and oxynitrides, which exhibit high strength and, at the same time, relatively low weight. A Russian-Chinese research team has developed a method to produce the coating. This method is based on ion-plasma sputtering technology. The material is formed by bombardment of titanium surfaces with working gas ions generated in anomalous glow discharge plasma. Coatings of various composition and purposes can be obtained by adding oxygen and nitrogen in different proportions to the working chamber.
To develop and test the technology, the researchers used the TION-2M pilot plant created at TPU jointly with the Institute of Physics of Strength and Materials Science of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Researchers from Siberian State Medical University, Kant Baltic Federal University, and Harbin Institute of Technology (China) also took part in the research.
“The thin films obtained by our magnetron sputtering method can be used in many areas, such as the semiconductor industry, optics, and others. We focused on developing the coatings for medicine to improve existing cardiac implants,”
Sergey Tverdokhlebov, acting head of the TPU Laboratory of Plasma Hybrid Systems, notes.
The new coatings will double the life of coronary stents used to dilate vessels. In addition, the coatings will significantly reduce the risk of a stent occlusion with cholesterol plaques and further clotting.
At the next stage of the research, the scientists are planning to conduct a series of preclinical and clinical trials. After that, together with industrial partners, the researchers will adapt the technology for practical use.