Researchers at Harvard University have developed a new type of coating designed to prevent blood clotting and bacterial contamination of medical implants or examination instruments. In the future, cardiac implants, catheters, probes, dialysis machines, and other medical devices may receive a molecular coating of a chemical compound called perfluorocarbon. According to the study published in the online edition of the journal Nature Biotechnology on October 12, 2014, the coating repels fibrin – a protein involved in blood clotting – and makes it harder for platelets to stick. Tests have already been conducted on pigs, using materials already approved for use on medical equipment.
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