MOLECULARLY IMPRINTED BIOFUNCTIONAL DEVICE: USING POLYMER SURFACES ON SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS TO CATALYZE BLOOD COAGULATION

摘要

Heated scalpels are a common method for reducing surgical blood loss. However, these methods damage tissue. Additionally, blood products used in topical hemostatic agents have inherent risks of allergic reaction, infection, and adhesions. Unlike these methods, the presented medical device utilizes molecular imprinting, an established technique that works by the creation of artificial protein binding site in order to activate biological response. This novel medical application of molecular imprints avoids heat damage or use foreign blood products by particular sequencing of imprints to catalyze blood coagulation. Currently, molecular imprints have been utilized as artificial chaperones in potential therapies for protein conformational diseases. In other instances, molecular imprinting is utilized in biosensors, namely for detecting changes in blood sugar, and for detection of viruses by interacting with antibodies in ways to provide diagnostics. Thus far, techniques using silica has shown successful specificity for imprinting the complex shape of hemoglobin yet the potential of this technique for the application of blood-coagulating surgical instruments is largely unexplored. This research investigates this particular medical application and inclusion of acoustics in the imprinting process as well as ultrasonic waves and fiber optics for promoting controlled release of proteins from molecular imprints and distribution of functionalized nanoparticles.