What you see in the image are two hollow titanium spheres not much larger than a drop of water. The one on the left is covered with red blood, and the one on the right with yellowish plasma, the liquid part of the blood that contains the cells that make up the blood in suspension.
The little balls are coated, not filled, because they have been made with an altered titanium that completely repels blood. What is important in this? Much, because this new material will allow the creation of biocompatible medical implants such as catheters, stents (spring-shaped devices that help correct narrowing of the arteries) and others, without the risk of infection or clots, always present in these operations.
Biocompatible Titanium
Those responsible for this advance, engineers from Colorado State University (USA), began their work with thin sheets of titanium commonly used in medical devices, and altered them in the laboratory so that their surfaces became insurmountable barriers to the blood. Experiments with the new material showed a very low level of adhesion of platelets, blood cells involved in clotting that can cause the body to reject an artificial element.
Biomedical specialists generally work with blood-related materials that prevent rejection. But one of the authors of the research, the biomedical engineer Arun Kota, affirms that his approach is “just the opposite. Our idea is to use a material that repels blood completely, so that it does not even perceive that there is a foreign element. in her”. It is about creating implants invisible to the immune system.
The problem of rejection
Implants save many lives, but they are not safe. The interaction of blood with artificial materials in stents, for example , can lead to clots and blockages leading to heart attacks or strokes. And many patients have to take anticoagulant drugs for the rest of their lives that are not foolproof.
Using a material that the blood cannot cling to in any way is the key to preventing the dreaded clots from occurring. The next step for the American researchers will be to refine their modified titanium to be able to move from laboratory tests to medical tests with real implants.
Photo: Kota Lab / Colorado State University
