Cardiovascular Interventional and Implantable Devices

Cardiovascular interventional and implantable devices must be safe and efficacious, as well as biocompatible. Surface treatment is of importance to the design and function of these devices. Lubricity, wear resistance, thrombogenicity, inflammation, and infections can all be affected significantly by surface treatments. The surfaces of cardiovascular interventional and implantable devices can either be modified with active or passive coating. Devices with active coating such as drug eluting stents (DES) deliver therapeutic agents that can enhance the mechanical function and modulate long-term vascular responses. In some implantable devices such as vascular grafts, endothelial cell growth is desirable. This is achievable with the addition of a coating or a modification to the surface properties of the device. This chapter reviews some of the most commonly used cardiovascular interventional and implantable devices with an overview of the role that surface treatments have in their functionality and safety.