AVS 49th International Symposium
    Biomaterials Tuesday Sessions
       Session BI+SS-TuM

Paper BI+SS-TuM11
Spatial Control of Cell Attachment Using Micropatterned Plasma Polymers

Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 11:40 am, Room C-201

Session: Platforms for Non-fouling and Patterned Surfaces
Presenter: S.A. Mitchell, The Robert Gordon University, Scotland, UK
Authors: S.A. Mitchell, The Robert Gordon University, Scotland, UK
N. Emmison, The Robert Gordon University, Scotland, UK
A.G. Shard, Sheffield University, England, UK
Correspondent: Click to Email
In recent years, there has been increased interest in the spatial control and regulation of cellular attachment and growth. Several techniques have been developed to produce surfaces with a well-defined chemical heterogeneity that are suitable for the rapid adhesion, spreading and proliferation of cells. Spatial control and sub-cellular pattern resolution has been successfully demonstrated by techniques such as micro-contact printing of self-assembled monolayers.@footnote 1@ However, the labour intensive, time consuming preparation and ready oxidation of these surfaces limit the utility of these devices. Additionally, they are only applicable to substrates that are rarely used in biomedical devices. We have employed plasma polymerisation as an alternative method for the chemical patterning of surfaces, although the chemical composition of these surfaces is more difficult to control, this one-step procedure is rapid and cost effective.@footnote 2@ The resulting surfaces have both a chemical functionality and a pattern resolution comparable to alternative techniques.@footnote 3@ They may be applied to virtually any substrate, including relatively rough surfaces such as tissue culture polystyrene, greatly increasing their applicability. We describe the patterned deposition of plasma polymers onto a variety of substrates and outline some of the advantages and limitations of the technique. Physicochemical characterisation of the plasma polymers is performed with XPS, AFM and contact angle analysis. The culture of mammalian cells on patterned substrates demonstrates their ability to spatially regulate cell attachment and spreading. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@M Mrksich and G M Whitesides, Tibtech, 13, 228-235(1995)@footnote 2@N A Bullett, R D Short, T OLeary, A J Beck, C W I Douglas, M Cambray-Deakin, I W Fletcher, A Roberts, C Blomfield, Surf. Interface Anal., 31, 1074-1076(2001)@footnote 3@L Dai, H J Griesser, A W H Mau, J. Phys. Chem. B, 101, 9548-9554(1997).