Anti-infective functionalized surfaces and methods of making same

Abstract

Devices are provided which are functionalized to include surface regions having anti-infective agents. Methods are provided for functionalizing various material surfaces to include active surface regions for binding anti-infective agents. Methods are provided by which anti-infective moieties or agents are bonded to functionalized surfaces.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 155,324, filed Feb. 25, 2009, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to substrates with anti-infective surfaces. In particular, methods are provided for functionalizing various material surfaces to include active surface regions for binding anti-infective agents.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]An activated, or functionalized, layer that is bonded or otherwise disposed on the surface of a substrate is useful as an interface between the substrate and other materials such as organic or metallic materials. This functionalized layer allows the substrate to react with and to bind to the organic or metallic material.[0004]The need for control of infection is a vital concern for many, from public health officials, hospital and school administrators and the like, to private citizens. T...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]Virtually any surface which may be functionalized is suitable for the inclusion of an anti-infective agent in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. Examples of such surfaces include metals, alloys, polymers, plastics, ceramics and glass. Therefore, the anti-infective surfaces as described herein may be applied universally through any environment, for example, in the environment of a surgical procedure or throughout an operating room or hospital, thereby eliminating many, if not all, sources of infection simultaneously and continuously.

[0018]It is expected the anti-infective surface modification methods described herein may eliminate the need for passivation, frequently a necessary step in the processing of metal implants. Processes as disclosed herein provide layers bonded to metal surfaces and transform the surface oxides into chemically- and physically-robust species, thus eliminating the source of corrosion in devices such as metal implants.

[0023]Devices made in accordance with the present disclosure provide a multitude of clinical benefits. For example, in partially external devices, anti-infective surfaces thereof may kill bacterial species at the device-skin interface, thus preventing pin-site infections. Devices including an anti-infective surface may prevent the colonization by infectious species of implanted surfaces, potentially reducing the incidence of deep infection, especially in high-risk populations. In catheters and shunts with anti-infective surfaces the potential for infection is minimized by killing bacteria traveling up the intubated pathway into the patient. Another example is in total hip arthroplasties; anti-infective hip stems may kill bacterial species and inhibit biofilm formation at the device-tissue interface, preventing the bacterial colonization of the hip replacement, which can lead to loosening due to infection and could require cost and painful hip revision surgery. The anti-infective agent is highly stable under physiological conditions. The anti-infective agent does not leach from its material host, so there is no undesirable secondary result. Due to its nanometer scale, the anti-infective agent does not interfere with desired mechanical surface features that may be critical to the function of device such as an implant. The anti-infective agent is not visible to the naked eye and does not obscure identifying features including colored anodization or product markings.

Problems solved by technology

This procedure yields a molecular adhesion species that is bound to the surface of the bulk polymer, but is limited to materials that have acidic groups on their surface.

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