The effects of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet on attachment of osteoblast

Despite the high success rate of dental implant surgery, the failures are still being reported and investigation have been undergone to improve attachment of osteoblast on the surface of implant material. With increasing interest in non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet (NTAPPJ), the effects of it on the cellular mechanisms have been previously reported. Hence in this experiment, effects of NTAPPJ on osteoblast for improved attachment and possible application in dental implant surgery were investigated.Mouse osteoblast cells of MC3T3-E1 were first directly treated with NTAPPJ with air for various durations. Also to investigate the effects by culture media, culture media were separately treated with NTAPPJ for the same durations. Cell attachments were then assessed following 4 and 24 h of cell culture using Water Soluble Tetrazolium salt (WST) assay and confirmed by automated cell counter and examining under confocal laser microscope.The results showed that there was significantly improved osteoblast attachment with relatively short duration of NTAPPJ treatment. Also results indicated that NTAPPJ possibly improved osteoblast attachment through interactions with proteins in culture media that in turn interacted with cells.Hence the application of NTAPPJ on osteoblast improves cellular attachment and would be useful tool for dental implant surgery.     

Surface bioactivity modification of titanium by CO2 plasma treatment and induction of hydroxyapatite: In vitro and in vivo studies

Since metallic biomaterials used for orthopedic and dental implants possess a paucity of reactive functional groups, bioactivity modification of these materials is challenging. In the present work, the titanium discs and rods were treated with carbon dioxide plasma and then incubated in a modified simulated body fluid 1.5SBF to obtain a hydroxyapatite layer. Surface hydrophilicity of samples, changes of surface chemistry, surface morphologies of samples, and structural analysis of formed hydroxyapatite were investigated by contact angle to water, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results demonstrated that hydrophilicity of titanium surface was improved and hydroxyl groups increased after modification with carbon dioxide plasma treatment. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of titanium were the richest after carbon dioxide plasma treatment under the condition of 20 W for less than 30 s. The hydroxyapatite formability of titanium surface was enhanced by carbon dioxide plasma pretreatment, which was attributed to the surface chemistry. MC3T3-E1 cell as a model cell was cultured on the Ti, CPT-Ti and CPT/SBF-Ti discs in vitro, and the results of the morphology and differentiation of the cell showed that CPT/SBF-Ti was the highest bioactive. The relative parameters of the new bone around the Ti and CPT/SBF-Ti rods including bone mineral density (BMD), a ratio of bone volume to total volume (BV/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th.) and trabecular number (Tb.N.) were analyzed by a micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) after 4-, 8- and 12-week implantation periods in vivo. The results indicated that the CPT/SBF-Ti was more advantageous for new bone formation.     

Characterization of bioactive RGD peptide immobilized onto poly(acrylic acid) thin films by plasma polymerization

Plasma surface modification can be used to improve the surface properties of commercial pure Ti by creating functional groups to produce bioactive materials with different surface topography. In this study, a titanium surface was modified with acrylic acid (AA) using a plasma treatment and immobilized with bioactive arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide, which may accelerate the tissue integration of bone implants. Both terminals containing the -NH₂ of RGD peptide sequence and -COOH of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) thin film were combined with a covalent bond in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide (EDC). The chemical structure and morphology of AA film and RGD immobilized surface were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All chemical analysis showed full coverage of the Ti substrate with the PAA thin film containing COOH groups and the RGD peptide. The MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on each specimen, and the cell alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were examined. The surface-immobilized RGD peptide has a significantly increased the ALP activity of MC3T3-E1 cells. These results suggest that the RGD peptide immobilization on the titanium surface has an effect on osteoblastic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells and potential use in osteo-conductive bone implants.     

Surface characteristics and in vitro biocompatibility of a manganese-containing titanium oxide surface

This study investigated the surface characteristics and in vitro biocompatibility of a titanium (Ti) oxide layer incorporating the manganese ions (Mn) obtained by hydrothermal treatment with the expectation of utilizing potent integrin-ligand binding enhancement effect of Mn for future applications as an endosseous implant surface. The surface characteristics were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, thin-film X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical profilometry and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The in vitro biocompatibility of the Mn-containing Ti oxide surface was evaluated in comparison with untreated bare Ti using a mouse calvaria-derived osteoblastic cell line (MC3T3-E1). The hydrothermal treatment produced a nanostructured Mn-incorporated Ti oxide layer approximately 0.6 μm thick. ICP-AES analysis demonstrated that the Mn ions were released from the hydrothermally treated surface into the solution. Mn incorporation notably decreased cellular attachment, spreading, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, and osteoblast phenotype gene expression compared with the bare Ti surface (p < 0.05). The results indicate that the Mn-incorporation into the surface Ti oxide layer has no evident beneficial effects on osteoblastic cell function, but instead, actually impaired cell behavior.     

The cytocompatibility investigation of Ti6Al4V modified with a fluorine-contained copolymer thin film

The objective of the present study is to preliminarily explore the effect of surface chemistry modification of Ti6Al4V with a fluorine-contained copolymer thin film on the cellular behavior of osteoblasts. A fluorine-contained random copolymer thin film was fabricated on Ti6Al4V substrate, and then characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle meter and surface profiler. The results showed that the surface modification of Ti6Al4V alloy could simultaneously transform the surface chemical constitution and reduce the surface energy evidently. However, the surface morphology and roughness of the Ti6Al4V substrate were hardly changed after the modification. By immersion process with simulated body fluid (SBF) and then by in vitro cytotoxicity test with MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts, the fluorine-contained copolymer thin film exhibited desirable stability and admirable cytocompatibility. In conclusion, the fluorine-contained copolymer thin film could be easily applied in modifying various solid surfaces, and the as-fabricated film also has potential applications in biomedical field.     

Surface modification of porous poly(tetrafluoroethylene) film via cold plasma treatment

In this study, cold plasma technology was applied for the surface modification of porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film to improve the hydrophilicity. The surface properties of PTFE, modified by air, helium (He) or acrylic acid (AAc), were investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning probe microscope (SPM), in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurements. The changes of the surface property before and after plasma treatment were discussed. According to SEM and SPM measurements, the surface roughness increased at different levels after plasma treatment. Compared to air and AAc plasma treatment, the He plasma treatment introduced large amounts of oxygen into the surface, as known from XPS results. Contact angle measurements revealed that the hydrophilicity of the PTFE film surface was greatly improved due to the surface roughness and changes of chemical elements on the PTFE surface.     

Surface modification of fluorosilicone acrylate RGP contact lens via low-temperature argon plasma

A fluorosilicone acrylate rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens was modified via argon plasma to improve surface hydrophilicity and resistance to protein deposition. The influence of plasma treatment on surface chemical structure, hydrophilicity and morphology of RGP lens was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), contact angle measurements and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. The contact angle results showed that the hydrophilicity of the contact lens was improved after plasma treatment. XPS results indicated that the incorporation of oxygen-containing groups on surface and the transformation of silicone into hydrophilic silicate after plasma treatment are the main reasons for the surface hydrophilicity improvement. SEM results showed that argon plasma with higher power could lead to surface etching.     

Long-term quantitative phase-contrast imaging of living cells by digital holographic microscopy

The dynamic analysis of biological living samples is one of the particular interests in life sciences. An improved digital holographic microscope for long-term quantitative phase-contrast imaging of living cells is presented in this paper. The optical configuration is optimized in the form of a free-space-fiber hybrid system which promotes the flexibility of imaging in complex or semi-enclosed experimental environment. Aberrations compensation is implemented taking into account the additional phase aberration induced by liquid culture medium in long-term observation. The proposed approach is applied to investigate living samples of MC3T3-E1 and MLO-Y4 cells. The experimental results demonstrate its availability in the analysis of cellular changes.     

Composite coating of 58S bioglass and hydroxyapatite on a poly (ethylene terepthalate) artificial ligament graft for the graft osseointegration in a bone tunnel

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the combination of hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioglass (BG) on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) artificial ligament graft osseointegration within the bone tunnel. The results of in vitro culturing of MC3T3-E1 mouse osteoblastic cells proved that this HA/BG composite coating can promote the cell compatibility of grafts. A rabbit extraarticular tendon-to-bone healing model was used to evaluate the effect of this composite coating on PET artificial ligaments in vivo. The final results demonstrated that HA/BG coating improved new bone formation at the graft-bone interface and increased the load-to-failure property of graft in bone tunnel compared to the control group at early time. The study has shown that HA/BG composite coating on the PET artificial ligament surface has a positive effect in the induction of artificial ligament osseointegration within the bone tunnel.     

Effect of surface roughness of chitosan-based microspheres on cell adhesion

Microspheres are novel candidate materials for microcarriers and tissue-engineering scaffolds. Chitosan microspheres were selected as the base materials because of their excellent properties for biomedical applications. But their smooth surfaces were not adapted for cell attachment. Hence, in order to improve the roughness of chitosan microspheres, β-TCP/chitosan composite microspheres were developed. From SEM photographs, the coarse surfaces of composite microspheres were observed, there were some ceramic particles standing out of the chitosan matrix. And their roughness measured by profilometers was about 2.0 μm. Mouse MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were seeded on the microspheres for evaluating the attachment interaction between cells and materials. According to the ESEM photographs and MTT assay, the adherence and proliferation of osteoblasts on the surfaces of modified microspheres were better than those on the chitosan microspheres, which were mainly attributed to the improved roughness of surface.     

Smoothing of an atomically rough vicinal surface – STM observation and MC simulation

Smoothing of an atomically rough vicinal surface of SrTiO₃ is studied by scanning tunneling microscope (STM) observation and by Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. A complex step pattern that resembles a two-dimensional phase separation pattern is observed on the surface. Analysis of the step pattern during annealing obtained by the STM in comparison with the MC simulation reveals an asymmetry of the relaxation pattern between islands and holes. The asymmetry is attributed to the difference of the mobility of an adatom and an atomic hole, and the asymmetry is enhanced by the step edge diffusion barrier. Values of an effective bond energy and an effective diffusion barrier as well as the surface diffusion coefficient are deduced from the relaxation pattern.     

Zinc-ion implanted and deposited titanium surfaces reduce adhesion of Streptococccus mutans

While titanium (Ti) is a commonly used dental implant material with advantageous biocompatible and mechanical properties, native Ti surfaces do not have the ability to prevent bacterial colonization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and bacterial adhesive properties of zinc (Zn) ion implanted and deposited Ti surfaces (Zn-PIIID-Ti) as potential dental implant materials. Surfaces of pure Ti (cp-Ti) were modified with increasing concentrations of Zn using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIIID), and elemental surface compositions were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). To evaluate bacterial responses, Streptococcus mutans were seeded onto the modifiedTi surfaces for 48 h and subsequently observed by scanning electron microscopy. Relative numbers of bacteria on each surface were assessed by collecting the adhered bacteria, reculturing and counting colony forming units after 48 h on bacterial grade plates. Ti, oxygen and carbon elements were detected on all surfaces by XPS. Increased Zn signals were detected on Zn-PIIID-Ti surfaces, correlating with an increase of Zn-deposition time. Substantial numbers of S. mutans adhered to cp-Ti samples, whereas bacterial adhesion on Zn-PIIID-Ti surfaces signficantly decreased as the Zn concentration increased (p < 0.01). In conclusion, PIIID can successfully introduce Zn onto a Ti surface, forming a modified surface layer bearing Zn ions that consequently deter adhesion of S. mutans, a common bacterium in the oral environment.     

Adjustable wettability of paperboard by liquid flame spray nanoparticle deposition

Liquid flame spray process (LFS) was used for depositing TiO_x and SiO_x nanoparticles on paperboard to control wetting properties of the surface. By the LFS process it is possible to create either superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic surfaces. Changes in the wettability are related to structural properties of the surface, which were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The surface properties can be ascribed as a correlation between wetting properties of the paperboard and the surface texture created by nanoparticles. Surfaces can be produced inline in a one step roll-to-roll process without need for additional modifications. Furthermore, functional surfaces with adjustable hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity can be fabricated simply by choosing appropriate liquid precursors.     

锰和氟共修饰羟基磷灰石陶瓷涂层的制备与表征

由于钛及钛合金具有优越的理化性能,其已被广泛应用于各种植入体,例如骨科、牙科及心血管支架等。然而,钛基材表面具有生物惰性,其与周边骨组织形成骨整合的能力较弱,延缓了组织愈合的时间。因此,改善钛植入体表面生物性能具有重要的临床意义。钛基材表面羟基磷灰石(HAP)复合涂层的制备已成为一种重要的表面生物活性改良手段。在含有F-,Mn2+,Ca2+和PO3-₄的电解液中,用单电流阶跃沉积法,在钛金属(Ti)表面上涂覆锰和氟共修饰羟基磷灰石(FMnHAP)复合薄膜。采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、能量弥散X射线谱(EDS)、X-射线衍射(XRD)对涂层进行初步表征,用傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)技术验证了氟离子和锰离子的共修饰对HAP分子构象和生物活性的影响。结果表明：锰部分取代磷灰石中的钙,氟部分取代磷灰石中的羟基,FMnHAP晶格常数变小,薄膜表面形貌由微米级的针状变为纳米级的绒毛状。FTIR技术验证显示,由于磷灰石晶体结构中F取代部分OH,致使改变了结构中OH的弯曲振动模式的对称性;模拟体液体外矿化表明,涂层表面有含碳酸根的类骨磷灰石形成,则涂层的体外生物活性较好。极化曲线测试表明,涂层提高了Ti在生理环境中的耐腐蚀性。     

The in vitro biomineralization and cytocompatibility of polydopamine coated carbon nanotubes

In this work, polydopamine coated carbon nanotubes were firstly prepared by a simple and feasible route. Then, for comparison, the in vitro bioactivity and cytocompatibility of the carbon nanotubes and the polydopamine coated carbon nanotubes were assessed by immersion study in simulated body fluids and 3-(4,5-dimethyldiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide test using osteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1), respectively. As a result, it has been demonstrated that the introduction of polydopamine coating can greatly enhance the bioactivity and promote cell proliferation of the carbon nanotubes. The improvement of bioactive behavior is attributed to the good combination of catecholamines structure of the polydopamine and the structural advantages of carbon nanotubes as a framework material. It is anticipated that the polydopamine coated carbon nanotubes would find potential applications in bone tissue engineering and other biomedical areas.     

紫外光下纳米TiO2薄膜亲水性机理的电化学研究

利用溶胶 凝胶方法在透明导电玻璃ITO (SnO2 ∶In)表面制备纳米TiO2 薄膜 ,XRD谱图表明TiO2 是锐钛矿晶型 ,AFM (Atomic Force Microscope)测得薄膜表面粒子约为 10 0nm .研究了ITO表面纳米TiO2 薄膜的光致亲水性变化 .通过循环伏安技术测定TiO2 薄膜电极在 2 5 3.7nm的紫外光照射后的电化学行为推测光致亲水性机理 .发现在紫外光照射一定时间后 ,TiO2 薄膜电极的循环伏安图在 +0 .0 35V处出现新的氧化峰 ;且随光照时间的增加 ,氧化峰的峰电流增大 ,溶液中的溶解氧对峰电流的大小有明显影响 .实验表明 ,在紫外光照下电极表面有Ti3 + 产生 ,证实了TiO2 薄膜的光致亲水性转变过程与Ti3 + 的生成导致的表面结构变化有关     

A study on the degradation property of a hydrophilic polycarbonate film treated by inductively coupled plasma using CO2 as reactive gas

In this study, we report investigations on surface modification of polycarbonate (PC) films for hydrophilicity and degradability under acid/base environmental conditions. The aims of our study were to modify a PC surface by the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) using CO₂ as precursor gas and to confirm the improved hydrophilic and degradable properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle measurement were carried out to characterize the chemical binding state and to observe the specific chemical change on the surface, respectively. After the plasma treatment and degradability test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was also employed to observe the surface morphologies. The results showed that the CO₂-plasma treatment can be a possible method to improve the hydrophilicity and degradability of the PC surface.     

多层Ti/Al电极结构对Ga N/AlGaN HEMT欧姆接触特性的影响

研究了多层Ti/Al结构电极对GaN/AlGaN HEMT欧姆接触特性及表面形态的影响。采用传输线模型对各结构电极的比接触电阻率进行了测量,采用扫描电子显微镜对电极表面形态进行扫描。实验结果显示,在同样的退火条件下,随着Ti/Al层数的增加,比接触电阻率逐渐减小,表面形态趋于光滑;降低Ti/Al层的厚度会加剧Au向内扩散而增加比接触电阻率,但能稍微改善表面形态;Ti比例过高会影响Ti N的形成导致比接触电阻率增加,但能明显改善表面形态。     

Study on the surface of fluorosilicone acrylate RGP contact lens treated by low-temperature nitrogen plasma

In order to improve the surface hydrophilicity of fluorosilicone acrylate rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens, low temperature nitrogen plasma was used to modify the lens surface. Effects of plasma conditions on the surface structures and properties were investigated. Results indicated that the surface hydrophilicity of RGP contact lens was significantly improved after treatment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed that the nitrogen element was successfully incorporated into the surface. Furthermore, some new bonds such as NCO, F⁻ and silicate were formed on the lens surface after nitrogen plasma treatment, which could result in the improvement of the surface hydrophilicity. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) results indicated that nitrogen plasma with moderate power could make the surface smoother in some degree, while plasma with higher power could etch the surface.