Material Effects in Shear-Induced Hemolysis

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Abstract
A rotating-disk apparatus for shearing blood was employed to compare 22 materials for their tendency to cause hemolysis during standardized low-stress (130 dynes/cm2 maximum) laminar flow conditions. Rigid plastics, hydrogels, and carbons were among the materials tested. Time-independent ranking of the materials was possible for 75% of the data; these rankings correlated linearly (for polymers) with the critical surface tension γc over the range 20–46 dyne/cm, with low γc being associated with low hemolysis. Surface morphology was also found to influence hemolysis. Roughness in the 1–15 micron range had a distinct effect on hemolysis kinetics for polyethylene surfaces. This suggests that failure to find time-independence in 25% of the material rankings can be attributed to inadequate control of the roughness variable. It also emphasizes the importance of surface morphology, as well as surface chemistry, as a biocompatibility parameter.

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