Hydrophilic medical devices
A medical device including a plasma-treated porous substrate that is functionalized to provide a hydrophilic surface, and a process for preparing such a medical device, are disclosed. The method includes plasma treating at least a portion of a surface of a porous substrate with a gas species selected from oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and combination thereof. The gas species is configured to functionalize the surface of the medical device and form a hydrophilic surface.
1. A method of making an absorbent surgical buttress, comprising:
generating a plurality of fibers by melt extruding a copolymer of glycolide, caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate and lactide having a melting temperature between about 140° C. and about 185° C., wherein the plurality of fibers are melt extruded from a die head;
blowing hot air at the plurality of fibers as they exit the die head;
collecting the plurality of fibers so that they adhere to one another and form a non-woven material;
plasma treating at least a portion of a surface of the non-woven material with an ionizable gas species or combination of ionizable gas species configured to chemically modify or functionalize the surface of the non-woven material; and
cutting the non-woven material into a desired shape for a surgical buttress.
2. The method of making an absorbent surgical buttress according to claim 1 , wherein the hot air blown at the plurality of fibers has a temperature between about 185° C. and about 195° C.