Implantable medical devices and biosensors have become widely used for continuous monitoring of patients' health status. However, when these devices are introduced into the body, a foreign body reaction occurs, compromising the immune system and making the patient vulnerable to bacterial infections and complications. Bacteria can adhere to the implants, forming impenetrable biofilms that are resistant to antibiotics, requiring painful and expensive reoperations for removal and treatment. Additionally, an immune response can cause a fibrotic capsule to form around the implant, hindering the detection of bio-signals. As a result, anti-biofouling coatings to prevent the adhesion of bacteria and immune cells have become of great interest.
In this work, we developed an anti-biofouling coating (Lynk-coating) for biomedical implants, including orthopedic implants, urethral catheters, and neural probes, through chemical modification. The coating exhibits excellent durability and anti-biofouling properties, and is easy to apply to any material with a complex shape. The coating process was done through liquid phase deposition, allowing even complex 3D structures to be easily coated. The coating can be applied to currently used biomedical sensors and medical implants, exhibiting super anti-biofouling and antibacterial properties. The results demonstrate its great potential for clinical applications and biomedical biosensors where anti-biofouling coatings are in high demand to prevent the adhesion of biosubstances and bacterial infections.