Haemocompatibility of Coronary Cafheters - Hämokompatibilität von Koronar-Kathetern

Background: Unwanted side-effects like thrombotic-thromboembolic processes accompany the intravascular use of catheters. The influence of the physico-chemical properties of the catheter materials on these processes is not completely understood. Methods: The haemocompatibility of angiography-catheters (n = 10) (Super Torque Plus®, CORDIS, Johnson&Johnson company) was examined in a perfusion-model filled with platelet-rich plasma and either compared to a non-thrombogenic (silicon-tube) or to a thrombogenic surface (glass). As test-parameters the number of single circulating thrombocytes, of circulating platelet-aggregates, of circulating activated thrombocytes (CD62) and the thrombin generation (thrombin antithrombin III-complexes) were evaluated. Results: None of the test-parameters showed differences between the non-thrombogenic control-system and the angiography-catheters. Both systems, however, differed significantly and relevantly from the system filled with the glass-beads (the thrombogenic control-systems). Conclusion: With respect to the platelet reactivity angiography-catheters of the examined type can therefore be regarded as non-thrombogenic or haemocompatible.