Projects

All products designed by our company

BLADDER CATHETER

AG / PEO-like treatment

On several occasions it may be necessary to use bladder catheters; this practice is not free from risks and complications. According to the international literature, between 60 and 80% of patients with a catheter have nosocomial infections of the urinary tract.

To minimize the incidence of urinary tract infections associated with catheters, alternative technological solutions offered by industrial research have been considered.

For this reason, Mediplasma has subjected a series of bladder catheters to plasmochemical treatments, depositing an Ag / PEO-like coating. With this system

  • The lubricity of the plasmochemical application avoids the use of oily, anesthetic and / or gel ointments, considered one of the factors favoring infections due to the inevitable lesions of the urethral wall.
  • The release of constant silver over time ensures a long-lasting and predetermined antibacterial effect, with known expiry.

 

A clinical trial was conducted on 20 patients who were treated with an Ag / PEO-like coated catheter, containing Ag + 5% ions (pending national and European patents). A group of 20 patients who served as control received normal, untreated catheter.

The results obtained showed an infection reduction greater than 50%.

ARTERIOUS INTRODUCERS

PEO-like antifouling treatment

Certain procedures, arterial and venous, require the percutaneous introduction of intravascular devices. These procedures may present complications both during the insertion phase and during the removal phase.

For this purpose, Mediplasma has created a series of arterial introducers equipped with a PEO-like coating.

This coating increases the lubricity of the device, facilitating entry into the vein and, at the same time, reduces the formation of biofilm, discouraging the adsorption of proteins and cell adhesion.

The introducers treated in this way were analyzed to verify the quality of the coating deposited before and after sterilization and showed positive results.

CONTACT LENSES

Heparin immobilization treatment
Contact lenses are considered an easy and convenient way to correct vision and are used by nearly 125 million people worldwide. Despite widespread adoption, abandonment rates are also high.

The main reasons for abandonment include discomfort due to the tendency of lenses to dry out after long hours of use and the fear of the risk of bacterial infections that may arise due to inadequate treatment techniques.

With MePlat we propose heparin grafting directly onto the surface of the lens through a new process involving cold plasma technology in this way contact lenses become safer and more comfortable. Currently, contact lens wearers use artificial tears containing heparin or similar components to reduce the resulting biofilms and infections. This process must be repeated often, as the sensation of dryness can recur, as the active ingredient is quickly removed from the eye movements. Despite this, most of the population is not yet sufficiently disciplined to observe proper lens care, leading to complications of mink threat.

Our solution provides added value and safety for contact lens users, making the process of using and maintaining contact lenses less labor intensive and natural.

This project was the winner of the SME-Stage 1

INTRAOCULAR LENSES

Ag / PEO-like treatment

They are devices implanted for the correction of various defects related to the eye. Over the years, surgical techniques have evolved and the materials used have changed until the introduction of flexible materials.

Some prototype batches of contact lents of different types were set up. On these samples was applied the innovative coating (Ag-PEO like), with antibacterial, non-fouling and high lubricity properties; in this case, an increase in oxygen permeability was also tested.

The prototypes have been validated in the application phase, with a favorable outcome, by a leading optical center, manufacturer of special and experimental lenses, supported by the University of Molise Ophthalmology Clinic.

ORTHOPEDIC PROSTHESIS

Ag / PEO-like treatment

Orthopedic prostheses are substitutive components of joints or portions of them that restore joint function. Several types of endoprostheses, designed to replace various skeletal components (knee, hip, spine, etc.), are used in the field of orthopedic surgery.

All these systems reflect the morphology as much as possible and, above all, the functionalities they replace.

The proposed innovative coating (Ag-PEO like), with antibacterial, non-fouling and high lubricity properties can be applied on these devices with the aim of reducing all the risks associated with post-operative infections. In fact, the release of silver, constant over time, ensures a bacterial effect with a long and predetermined duration.

AIR FILTERS

Ag / PEO-like treatment

To maintain optimal conditions of well-being in the case of very crowded environments or to ensure the success of a particular production cycle, it may be necessary for the air to have certain requirements.

For example, in the case of clean rooms or operators, a particularly strict antibacterial guarantee is required.

Mediplasma has subjected an industrial filter to plasmachimic treatment in order to deposit an Ag / PEO-like coating with antibacterial and antifouling properties.

The filter thus treated showed a 50% reduction in the bacterial load at the end of a 6-month observation.

ABSORBENT MATERIALS

Hydrophobic / hydrophilic, oleophobic / oleophilous treatment

As we have seen, plasmochemical processing is a very versatile technology and can be used to modify the surface characteristics of innumerable materials.

In particular, in this case special absorbent sponges were treated in order to give them an oleophilic-oleophobic character.

The results of this treatment can be observed in the videos below (Courtesy of UNIBA).

 

Untreated sponge: It can be noted that the simple sponge allows the passage of both water and red oil.

 

Treatment 1: In this case, a surface modification treatment was carried out by means of plasma such as to allow the sponge only the passage of red oil and not water (hydrophobic and oleophilous).

 

Treatment 2: In this case a surface modification treatment was carried out via plasma to allow the sponge to absorb the oil. We can observe how in a mixture of water and red oil, the sponge is able to absorb only the oil.

This property can be very useful to clean the sea in case of spills of crude oil. In fact, in this way it is possible to attract a certain amount of hydrocarbons and impregnate them in the treated sponge, and then wring them out, making available the absorbed oil.

Are you interested in our projects?

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