Catheters are those long, skinny tubes the doctors use to deliver medicine or drain stuff. They are lifesavers but can also be a breeding ground for nasty germs.
Metal coatings are like protective shield for your catheter, helping to keep those pesky microbes at bay.
Catheter can be thought as a highway for bacteria. Once they get a footing, they can form a slimy, protective community called a biofilm.
The biofilm is like a fort, where the germs celebrate. Antibiotics and even our immune system defences cannot kill it.
To stop these germs from partying, you need to make the surface of the catheter as unfriendly as possible.
Hydromer has an FDA approved facility to custom-design catheter coatings. They can coat prototypes and market-ready product.
Let’s explore the types of metal coating with antimicrobial properties suitable for catheter application.
Table of Contents
The classic silver
For ages, people have used silver to keep things clean. It is also good at killing bacteria. When you coat catheter with silver, it is like giving the tube a superpower shield. The silver ion seeps out slowly, attacking the bacteria’s cell walls and destroying their DNA.
It is a slow, painful death for the germs but a victory for your body! Plus, silver is pretty good at sticking around, so the germ killing effect can last for a while.
Copper
Copper metal packs a punch against bacteria. It is a tough bodyguard of metal world with non-nonsense policy.
Copper ions are toxic to bacteria and can disrupt their cell processes. Copper-coated catheter protects you from infection.
Zinc
Zinc is overlooked but an underdog in the metal world. It has some serious antimicrobial properties that interfere with bacterial growth in different ways.
It is a valuable addition to the catheter’s defence team. Besides, zinc is safe for your body, so is a good choice for medical devices.
Titanium
It is not well known for antimicrobial stuff like other metals, but does have some magic dust under its wings. Titanium dioxide is a form of titanium that can generate reactive oxygen when exposed to light. These can damage the bacterial cells and prevent infection.
Now, these metals are all pretty awesome on their own but scientists are experimenting with combining them. Working together can make them a superhero team that can efficiently defeat the bad germs.
For example, you may have a catheter coated with a blend of silver and copper, which doubles the germ killing power.
Of course, just slapping a metal coating on a catheter is not sufficient. The coating has to be applied correctly, and even the thickness has to be right. Too thin coating and it will not be effective.
While too thick layer, can impact the catheters performance. Research is still on-going to find the ideal formula for these metal coatings. It is a continuous evolving field.
So, the next time someone you know needs a catheter, you can feel less nervous because there are some cool metal coatings with germ killing magic!