Platelet adhesion on metal oxide layers

This study was concerned with blood compatibility of titanium oxide layers on stainless steel. The titanium oxide layers were prepared through sol-gel process by dip-coating of tetraethyltitanate solution and heated at 500degreesC. The crystal phase, thickness and wettability of the oxide were characterized. The blood compatibility was evaluated in term of platelet adhesion using human platelet rich plasma. Consequently, with increase in the thickness of the titanium oxide layers, the number of platelet adhered on the stainless steel coated with titanium oxide layer decreased rapidly. When the thickness of titanium oxide layers on stainless steel grew more than 150 nm, the number of adherent platelets decreased less than 10% in comparison with that on non-coated stainless steel. The titanium oxide layers indicated to be more hydrophilic than non-coated stainless steel. In conclusion, the thicker and more hydrophilic titanium oxide layer on stainless steel appears to inhibit platelet adhesion.