Ion implantation into ePTFE for application of a dural substitute

The ideal synthetic dural substitute consists of two different sides: a cell adhesive ossa cranii and non-adhesive cerebral surfaces. The development of new materials that combine these cell adhesive and cell non-adhesive properties is the focus of this research. We report on the preparation of novel cell adhesive materials for dural substitutes by ion implantation. A cell-adhesive ion-implanted expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) sheet was applied as a substitute for the dura mater. Ne+ ions were implanted into ePTFE at an energy of 150 keV with fluences between 1 x 1013 and 1 x 1015 ions/cm2. An in vivo study demonstrated that ePTFE implanted at with 1 x 1015 ions/cm2 exhibited much greater adhesion and spreading of living cells in a body compared to the non-implanted one. The internodal distance, density between the nodes and C-O radicals produced by ion implantation were the major factors that influenced cell invasion in ion-implanted ePTFE