Surface Coatings for Ventricular Assist Devices

Abstract

This review focuses on the surface engineering of ventricular assist devices (VADs) for treating heart failing patients, which involves modification of the blood contacting surfaces to improve the blood compatibility (or heamocompatability) of the VADs. Following an introduction of the categorization and the complications of ventricular assist devices, this review pays attention to heamocompatability, applications, and limitations of six types of surface coatings for ventricular assist devices. The six types of surface coatings are: (1) titanium nitride (TiN) coatings, (2) diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings, (3) 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer coatings, (4) heparin coatings, (5) textured surfaces, and (6) endothelial cell lining. In particular, diamond-like coatings and heparin coatings are more commonly used than others for VADs due to their excellent haemocompatibility, durability, and technical maturity. For high performance and long lifetime of VADs, surface modification with coatings for haemocompatibility is as important as the mechanical design of VADs.