Abstract
Objective
The necessity for biocompatible packing materials has become important as the increasing of using implantable medical devices. In this study, we investigated the biocompatibility of platinum-catalyzed silicone (Ecoflex®) as a packing material in the rats.
Methods
Twenty 12-week white male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. The rats were assigned to four experimental groups: control, non-coating metal, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and Ecoflex®. After a ball-shaped materials coated with PDMS and Ecoflex® were implanted into the bladder of rats, we compared the biocompatibility of non-coating metal, PDMS, and Ecoflex® by analyzing changes in the levels of macrophages and inflammatory cytokines in the bladder.
Results
Increased macrophage activity in the urothelium of the bladder was observed in PDMS and Ecoflex®. However, the increasing macrophage activity in PDMS and Ecoflex was not higher than non-coating metal (P<0.05). Increased inflammatory cytokine such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in PDMS and Ecoflex® were showed significantly difference compared with those of non-coating metal (P<0.05).
Conclusions
In our study, we suggested that PDMS and Ecoflex® might be used as safe packing materials for a catheter-intergrated bladder pressure sensor.
Keywords: Biocompatible material, bladder sensor