Polyelectrolyte thromboresistant affinity coatings for modification of devices contacting blood.

The modification of hydrophobic polyethylene/polystyrene surfaces of medical devices with bilayer/multilayer coatings (BCs/MCs) based on polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) of modified poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone-co-maleic acid) copolymer (VPMA) with chitosan, amphiphilic chitosan, or albumin was studied. The VPMA contained l-Lysine as affinity ligand for plasminogen attached through alpha-amino group. The surface properties and chemical composition of the surfaces investigated were analyzed, using sessile-drop water contact angle measurements, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM).