Effect of Various Surface Active Agents on Heparin Binding and Clot Formation on Graphite Surfaces

Various surface-active agents were evaluated for their ability to bind heparin to graphite-coated plastic and thus produce a prosthetic surface resistant to thrombus formation. Both in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that only cationic agents bound heparin to graphite. After the positively charged cationic agent is adsorbed to the graphite surface, it can in turn bind the negatively charged heparin and thus present to the blood stream, at least initially, a surface rich in heparin.