Liquid Infused Polymers Repel Bacteria Build-up
4/7/15 Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences researchers have invented a liquid-infused polymer, which is a slippery surface coating that can be applied to implants to repel bacteria build-up.
More than 80% of microbial infections are caused by a build-up of bacteria on implants such as urinary catheters and heart valves. This new coating is a powerful, long lasting repellent that can be used with medical materials to prevent the bacteria biofilms from forming. This technology leverages the molecular structure of polymers, allowing them to absorb large quantities of lubricant which can travel to the surface to provide a continuous slippery coating. So much liquid can be absorbed and slowly disbursed, it isn’t washed away by sterilization, urine, blood or other bodily fluids.
This type of material isn’t just for the medical field, it could some day be used to help in waste water treatment facilities, oil pipes, ice accumulation in airplane wings, etc. Todays technology is jumping in leaps and bounds and changing our lives forever!