Development of Technology for Applying Nanocoatings to Surgical Meshes and Study of the Functional Properties of the Resulting Nanofilms

Abstract

—Today, abdominal hernias of various localizations are diagnosed in approximately 7% of the world’s population. Approximately 20 million hernioplasty operations are performed annually, 85% of which use surgical mesh. The implant itself often becomes the cause of the development of postoperative complications in the form of adhesions, granulomas, fistulas, seromas, abscesses, etc. The study involved surgical meshes with a nanocoating applied using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. The aims of the study were the development of a technology for applying a nanocoating to impart antibacterial properties to surgical endoprosthetic meshes and improve their biocompatible properties using the atomic layer deposition method. During the work, a nanocoating was applied to the surface of the polypropylene meshes using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method to impart antibacterial properties to the implant. As a result of applying the nanofilm, nano-sized roughness was formed on the surface, which prevented the adhesion of microorganisms. At the same time, the main characteristics of the grids themselves did not change. By means of cyclic reactions, using trimethylaluminum, titanium tetrachloride, and vanadium trichloroxide, the first samples of meshes were obtained, which were introduced into the bodies of experimental animals. Complex coating (Al₂O₃ + TiO₂/V₂O₅) demonstrated good integration into the surrounding tissue with minimal inflammatory response. The developed method for obtaining nanocoatings to improve the bactericidal properties of surgical endoprosthesis mesh is simple in industrial implementation, compared to PACVD or CVD, and covers large areas simultaneously, therefore reducing material costs for production and increasing economic efficiency.