Clinical application of antithrombogenic hydrogel with long poly(ethylene oxide) chains.

Thirty clinical tests on PVC drain tubes coated with hydrophilic copolymer with long poly(ethylene oxide) chains (PEO-COAT) were carried out. Controls were non-coated PVC drain tubes. Thrombogenesis was observed in 24 out of 30 non-coated PVC drain tubes (80%) and in only 4 out of 30 PEO-COAT drain tubes (13%). PEO-COAT drain tubes significantly suppressed absorption of plasma proteins and adhesion of platelets. The excellent antithrombogenic property of this hydrophilic polymer, already suggested by in vitro and in vivo experiments, was demonstrated here clinically.