Effects of Surface Micropatterning on Endothelialization of Amorphous Hydrogenated Carbon (a-C:H) Films Produced by Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation and Deposition

Summary form only given. Amorphous carbon or diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have attracted much attention recently due to their good biocompatibility and have been proposed for use in blood contacting medical devices. The behavior of cultured cells is a good indicator of the surface biocompatibility and biological responses. In this study, amorphous hydrogenated carbon films were produced and a series of micropatterning experiments were conducted on the surface of the DLC using sputtering and deposition by plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition with a mixture of argon and acetylene. The behavior of the endothelial cells was investigated. The micropatterning experiments were carried out using meshes of 100 mum, 54 mum, 26 mum, and 12 mum. A set of DLC films was sputter deposited using a radio frequency (RF) power of 500 W and a substrate DC bias voltage of -500 V. Another set of DLC films was deposited by plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition also with the meshes. The two DLC film properties were evaluated by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The surface topography was analyzed by surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) were seeded and cultured on the micropatterned surfaces for up to 7 days. The endothelial cell behavior was examined using optical microscopy and SEM after the cells were fixed and dehydrated. Our results reveal that surface micropatterning can help endothelialization and promote more extensive endothelialization compared to our control samples in the in vitro model