Local thermal actuation of material surfaces via micro- and nanowire heating for the prevention of cellular attachment and biological fouling
The invention relates in various embodiments to a composite useful as e.g. a medical implant device, and a method of treating fouling, including biofouling as may occur on an implant. The composite comprises a matrix phase and a patterned phase that comprises an energetically activatable wire intermixed with the matrix phase, the wire when energetically activated, which includes thermal activation, causes modification of at least a portion of the matrix phase to treat fouling that might otherwise occur. The method of treating biofouling may be practiced on a patent while the medical implant of the invention is in situ.
1. A composite comprising:
a matrix phase; and
a single continuous patterned wire having a length in the centimeter range and completely embedded within the matrix phase and having a periodicity at the sub-cellular scale, wherein the single continuous patterned wire is energetically activatable to cause a physical change in the matrix phase effective to treat fouling of the composite, wherein the physical change comprises mechanical motion.
2. The composite of claim 1 wherein the matrix phase comprises a polymer.
3. The composite of claim 2 wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of a fluoropolymer, a polycarbonate-based polyurethane, a polyether-based polyurethane, a polyester-based polyurethane, nylon, a nylon block copolymer; high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and combinations thereof.
4. The composite of claim 2 wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyester, a polyurethane, a polyamide, a polyamide block copolymer, a polyolefin, a silicone; a latex; a polyvinyl chloride, a polyimide, a polyetheretherketone, and combinations thereof.
5. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite is a catheter, shunt, artificial joint, dental implant, or cosmetic implant.
6. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire is composed of a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, iron, palladium, platinum, carbon, and conducting organic polymers, and combinations thereof.
7. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire is lithographically defined.
8. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite is a laminate and said single continuous patterned wire is present in an insert geometry or a sheet geometry.
9. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire is activated by time-varying electrical current, pulse-varying electrical current, or combination thereof.
10. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire has a sinuous pattern.
11. The composite of claim 1 wherein said periodicity is about 10 microns or less.
12. The composite of claim 1 wherein said periodicity is about 10 microns.
13. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire is composed of a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, palladium, and platinum.
14. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire is composed of a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, palladium, and platinum, and wherein the matrix phase is a polyurethane polymer.
15. A medical implant device comprising the composite of claim 1 .
16. The medical implant device of claim 15 wherein said device is a catheter, shunt, artificial joint, dental implant, or cosmetic implant.
17. A composite comprising:
a matrix phase; and
a single continuous patterned wire having a length in the centimeter range and completely embedded within the matrix phase and having a periodicity at the sub-cellular scale of about 10 microns or less, wherein the single continuous patterned wire is energetically activatable to cause a physical change in the matrix phase effective to treat fouling of the composite.