# Ultra-low Fouling and Nitric Oxide Releasing Intravascular Catheters for Prevention of Thrombosis and Infection

> **NIH NIH R43** · INNOVETA BIOMEDICAL LLC · 2020 · $149,848

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Despite decades of research, an ideal non-thrombogenic and antibacterial surface has yet to be identified to
eliminate the need for systemic anticoagulation and risks of infection. Blood-material interactions are critical to
the success of implantable medical devices including simple catheters, stents and grafts, insulation materials for
electrical leads of pacemakers and defibrillators, and complex extracorporeal artificial organs, which are used in
thousands of patients every day. The major limiting factors to clinical applications of blood-contacting materials
are 1) platelet activation and thrombosis, 2) biofouling of surfaces with proteins and bacteria, and 3) infection.
Commercial heparin-coated catheters have been shown to preserve fibrinogen levels, but it does not prevent
the alternate hemostatic pathway of platelet activation and adhesion. Surface-induced thrombosis remains a
significant challenge for such devices and systemic anticoagulation is required to prevent clotting but also results
in a major risk of hemorrhage. In addition, catheters coated with antiseptics or antibiotics decrease the risk of
bacterial infection, but do not prevent biofilm formation that shields bacteria from antibiotics. Therefore, there is
a necessity and opportunity to combine strategies for preventing thrombosis and infection into single implantable
device coatings for enhanced patency and safety.
Recent work over the past 5 years has demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) release from polymer surfaces can
prevent platelet activation and bacterial infection. This technology is based on the fact that NO secretion by the
normal endothelium prevents clotting by preventing platelet adhesion and activation. Further, NO released within
the sinus cavities, and by neutrophils and macrophages, functions as a potent natural antimicrobial and antiviral
agent. Recently we discovered that all of the positive effects of NO release can be achieved from polymers
doped with the NO donor molecule S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), which is nontoxic, inexpensive, and
easy to synthesize. Nitric oxide release alone can inhibit platelet function locally at the polymer/blood interface,
but it does not prevent fibrinogen adsorption and fibrin formation, which plays a key role in a clot formation. In
contrast, zwitterionic materials have been demonstrated to resist protein adsorption down to < 0.3 ng/cm2, where
a monolayer of protein coverage on a surface can be as high as 100500 ng/cm2. Zwitterionic materials have a
stronger hydration ability compared with existing hydrophilic polymers; this accounts for their ultra-low fouling
property. The goal of this proposal is to develop, optimize, and evaluate novel intravascular catheters
that will combine agents that inhibit bacteria growth, platelet adhesion, and activation via NO release as
well as inhibit biofouling (bacteria and fibrinogen adhesion) using immobilized zwitterionic top-coat. The
new coatings will be applica...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9908906
- **Project number:** 1R43HL149595-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** INNOVETA BIOMEDICAL LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Sean Hopkins
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $149,848
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2021-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9908906

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9908906, Ultra-low Fouling and Nitric Oxide Releasing Intravascular Catheters for Prevention of Thrombosis and Infection (1R43HL149595-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9908906. Licensed CC0.

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