Ultrasound-Controllable Release of Carbon Monoxide in Multifunctional Polymer Coating for Synergetic Treatment of Catheter-Related Infections

Medical catheters are susceptible to biological contamination and pathogen invasion, leading to infection and inflammatory complications. The development of antimicrobial coatings for medical devices has emerged as a promising strategy. However, limited biological functionality and the incompatibility between bactericidal properties and biosafety remain great challenges. Herein, a multifunctional polymer coating (CPB-Ac) is created, incorporating an ultrasonic-responsive carbon monoxide release unit (CORM-Ac) and antifouling unit to treat catheter-related complications. As-synthesized CPB-Ac polymer can be stably anchored to various medical devices with arbitrary shapes and compositions via facile UV treatment. Both in vivo and vitro experiments demonstrated that this multi-functional coating exhibits anti-fouling, anti-inflammatory, and broad-spectrum antibacterial activities as well as good biosafety. During the initial implantation phase, the antifouling units of CPB-Ac coating effectively inhibit the attachment of biological contaminants, significantly reducing the risk of thrombosis and bacterial infection. Once bacterial infection occurs, ultrasonic irradiation can activate CPB-Ac coating to release CO with a much higher amount of 55.3 µm than non-ultrasound controls, therefore rapidly eliminating bacteria and alleviating inflammatory response. It is believed that the work may provide an effective method for the development of next-generation intelligent medical coatings against catheter-related complications.