By Stephen Beech via SWNS
A new blood vessel-like coating could make medical devices including catheters and stents safer for millions of patients, according to new research.
The innovative material reduces risks associated with blood clots and dangerous bleeding, say scientists.
Designed by Canadian researchers to mimic the natural behavior of blood vessels, it will allow for safer use of blood-contacting devices such as catheters, stents, blood-oxygenation and dialysis machines – especially in cases where blood clots are a significant concern.
Study leader Professor Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu, of the University of British Columbia, said: “This discovery could be a transformative step in the development of safer medical devices.
“By designing a coating that mimics the body’s natural approach to preventing clots, we’ve created a solution that could dramatically reduce the need for risky blood thinners before and after patients use these devices.”
He explained that thrombosis, or clot formation, is a major challenge when blood-contacting devices are used.
Unlike natural blood vessels, the devices can trigger clotting by activating specific proteins in the blood.
Blood clots can obstruct the device, disrupt treatment, or lead to severe complications such as a stroke or heart attack.
Doctors often prescribe high doses of blood thinners to prevent clots while using the devices, but that approach increases the risk of dangerous bleeding – a trade-off that many patients and doctors would rather avoid.
But the newly developed coating, described in the journal Nature Materials, offers a promising alternative as it’s engineered to imitate how blood vessels function, encouraging normal blood flow without triggering clot formation.
Study first author Dr. Haifeng Ji, also of the University of British Columbia, said: “By interacting with this protein in a controlled way, the coating prevents it from sparking a cascade of events that lead to clot formation.”
In lab and animal studies, the coating showed “significant” reductions in clot formation on device surfaces, without the use of blood thinners and without affecting the normal clotting functions elsewhere in the body.
Kizhakkedathu added: “One of the most surprising insights was that controlling the interaction between the coating and specific blood proteins could prevent clotting without disrupting the body’s natural balance.
“This shows us that mimicking the body’s own mechanisms, rather than simply repelling blood components, is key to truly biocompatible device design.”
The research team plan to explore how the coating could be further optimized and applied to a broader range of blood-contacting devices.
They also want to see whether the same approach could eventually be adapted to address other blood-related complications, such as inflammation or infection, in long-term medical implants.
