Surgical mesh coatings for infection control and temperature sensing : An in-vitro investigation

Polypropylene (PP) remains the primary material for hernia meshes due to its biocompatibility, physical strength and ease of fabrication. However, PP meshes are still subject to complications such as mesh movement and bacterial infection that ultimately lead to mesh failure. This study describes a two-step functionalization of a PP mesh through dopamine-mediated chloro(triphenylphosphine)gold(I)/nanodiamond coatings. The gold compound provided an intrinsic surface with antimicrobial activity to the coatings, whilst the overall improvement in hydrophilicity and roughness allows for efficient adsorption of antibiotics with an aim for eradicating bacteria in the surrounding tissue. The presence of a gold compound on the surface of the mesh enhanced its contrast property, which may provide a surgical application to determine the ease of monitoring the PP mesh location after implantation inside the body to detect possible tears. Photostable negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy centres within the nanodiamonds provides an exciting possibility to optically assess locally elevated temperatures often associated with infection or excessive inflammation. The biocompatibility, antibiotic loading and associated antimicrobial properties of the coated mesh were investigated to show the potential of this new coating for future applications in hernia surgical procedures.