Chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) blending hydrogel coating improves the surface characteristics of segmented polyurethane urethral catheters

Segmented polyurethane (SPU) is commonly used to manufacture urethral catheters. Surface modifications for SPU catheters are needed to reduce friction and protein adsorption, in order to minimize catheter-related complications, including urethral trauma, encrustation, catheter obstruction, bacterial colonization, and infection. In this study, a four-step surface modification method was developed to create a thin lubricious layer of chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel on the SPU catheter. Modification steps included oxidation of the SPU surface, functionalities modification, carbodiimide reaction and coupling, and hydrogel crosslinking. The success of each modification step was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Measurement of the water contact angle revealed that hydrogel coating created a highly hydrophilic surface and atomic force microscope analyses demonstrated that the surface was slippery. Protein absorption of the SPU catheter was significantly reduced by coating hydrogel. Chitosan in the hydrogel could provide antimicrobial activity, and the hydrogel coating SPU samples showed significant antibacterial effects in this study. In summary, the four-step modification method developed in this study provided a simple and effective way to coat the surface of SPU catheters with a chitosan/PVA blending hydrogel that could help to minimize the risk of complications related to the use of urethral catheters.