Clever Coating: New polymer may prolong life of medical implants
Lacing the protective polymer coatings on medical implants with copper could reduce the clot-inducing tendency of these devices and may keep them functioning for months or even years.
The new coating material staves off clotting because its copper ions catalyze the production of nitric oxide in the blood, says Mark Meyerhoff of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In turn, nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels, increases blood flow, and prevents clot-forming platelets from attaching to implant surfaces.