This quick guide dives into the use of hydrophilic coatings for gastroenterology, specifically for GI equipment. We will cover the use and benefits of these coatings for several devices, including endoscopic instruments, catheters, stents, and more. If you are a biomedical engineer then you will not want to learn why these coatings can help improve your devices.
Gastroenterology specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, also known as digestive diseases. These conditions affect organs responsible for the essential biological activities, such as digestion, absorption, and metabolism. According to the CDC during 2022 in the US, there were 8.8 million visits to the emergency room related to diseases of the digestive system. These statistics bring attention to the significant health challenges linked to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Gastroenterologists depend on a large number of high-tech medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of GI diseases. In order to make these devices safer and more effective, surface modification is important. Gastroenterology devices (GI devices) are coated with hydrophilic medical device coatings. This is because they drastically improve the lubricity and overall performance of these devices.
What is the Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract?
The Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract is also known as the digestive system. It is a path through which food passes from the mouth to the rectum. Such a system is vital to living beings. That is because they rely on nutrients from food and drink for proper and healthy functioning of their body.
Here is a quick list of the most common organs that are part of our GI Tract:
- Esophagus
- Stomach
- Small Intestine
- Colon
- Rectum
- Liver
- Pancreas
- Gallbladder
- Bile Ducts
Each organ helps the food or liquid move through the GI tract. Once this food and liquid are broken down into nutrients, our body transfers them to where they are needed through the circulatory system.
Types of Gastrointestinal (GI) Diseases
Diseases associated with the GI tract are either functional or structural. We discuss these briefly below.
- Functional GI Diseases: These diseases are symptomatic. They do not cause any physical or structural changes to your digestive tract. The most common examples are constipation, gas, and diarrhea.
- Structural GI Diseases: These are complex and last longer. They can cause severe inflammation and blockages. Hemorrhoids and Colon Polyps are typical examples of Structural GI diseases.
Many types of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are diagnosed and treated by gastroenterologists using medical devices. There is a wide range of GI equipment, ranging from endoscopic equipment to gastrointestinal stents, catheters and more.
These devices are becoming more and more advanced, allowing for better performance and better patient outcomes. One reason for this is due to advanced hydrophilic medical coatings that are applied to the device surfaces. We discuss these in more detail below.
Use of Medical Coatings for Gastrointestinal Devices
Medical coatings are a type of surface modification used to modify the properties of a device’s surface and make it biocompatible. They significantly improve the safety and overall performance of medical devices.
Their use has grown. According to a recent medical industry trends report, Hydrophilic Coatings in particular have gained widespread use with various medical devices. And this is for good reason.
For example, one doctor reported:
“I can get 90-95% of the device performance through materials and design criteria. However, the last 5-10% of the desired device performance is only achievable through surface modification coatings.”
Due to their benefits hydrophilic medical coatings have become an essential part of modern biomedical engineering. These coatings are formulated using polymers and proven to be beneficial across all types of medical procedures, including diagnostic and surgical procedures. Such coatings can be applied to both ID (internal diameter) and OD (outer diameter) of the medical devices.
So what are hydrophilic coatings for gastroenterology and GI Devices?
We dive into these coatings below.
What are Hydrophilic Coatings?
The term “hydro” means water, while “philic” means affinity or love. In turn, hydrophilic means water-loving.
Hydrophilic coatings are “slippery-when-wet” surface modifications that are applied to the surfaces of GI devices. These coatings form a thin, highly lubricious layer on the device’s surface when they are exposed to bodily fluids.
They work well with gastrointestinal devices because of their wettability and low-friction coefficient. They aid with the insertion and movement of instruments within the body, such as scopes, catheters, and guidewires.
Companies like Hydromer®, Inc. create advanced, custom medical coatings for a wide range of medical devices. This means these multi-functional coatings provide more than just lubricity. For instance, Hydromer® coatings can be custom-formulated to have the following properties:
- Highly lubricious
- Thromboresistance
- High wettability
- Antimicrobial
- Drug-eluting capabilities
- Biocompatibility
- Low particulate
- Enhanced adhesion
- High durability
These coatings offer many benefits for GI equipment used by gastroenterologists.
Benefits of Hydrophilic Coatings for Gastrointestinal Equipment
Here are the key benefits of applying hydrophilic coatings to gastrointestinal (GI) devices:
- Enhanced Lubricity: This property is crucial for medical devices that are inserted into and move through the body. Hydrophilic coatings become highly lubricious when exposed to liquids, such as bodily fluids. As a result, surgeons can easily insert and remove gastrointestinal devices such as endoscopes, catheters, and guidewires. Lower friction on the device surface makes it easier for the surgeon and less painful for the patient, among other benefits.
- Improved Navigation: The low-friction surface created by hydrophilic coatings ensures smooth and safe movement of devices within the gastrointestinal tract. This is true during both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. A gastroenterologist can navigate and explore hard-to-reach areas and position medical devices with reduced risk of trauma.
- Patient Comfort: Hydrophilic coatings significantly reduce friction between the device surface and surrounding tissues. Their main purpose is to minimize drag and resistance. This helps prevent tissue irritation, abrasions, and potential injuries that can lead to further complications.
- Reduced Risk of Infections: A few hydrophilic coating brands, such as Hydromer®, manufacture custom-formulated hydrophilic coatings with antimicrobial properties. These lubricious coatings also prevent the sticking of microbes on gastrointestinal devices.
- Better Visibility: Hydrophilic coatings significantly improve visibility during diagnostic procedures, such as with endoscopes. They do this by preventing two major problems associated with lenses: fogging and glare. Surgeons can easily clean the lenses and remove debris post-endoscopy to maintain clear vision during diagnosis.
Gastrointestinal (GI) Equipment Commonly Coated with Hydrophilic Coatings
Hydrophilic coatings are applied to gastrointestinal devices that interact with the mucosal surface and need to navigate through complex anatomical pathways. Some common GI equipment that have been shown to benefit from hydrophilic coatings include:
- Endoscopic Instruments: Endoscopes such as gastroscopes, colonoscopes, enteroscopes, and sigmoidoscopes are coated with hydrophilic coatings. These devices are used for the diagnosis of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The coatings ensure smooth insertion, removal, and maneuverability of these devices without causing any mucosal irritation. Learn more about hydrophilic coatings for endoscopes.
- Catheters: Catheters used during medical procedures are coated with hydrophilic surface coatings. This coating is to ensure smooth and safe navigation through complex anatomy. Examples include balloon dilation and extraction catheters, RF ablation catheters, manometry catheters, pH monitoring catheters, and more. Hydrophilic coatings for catheters offer smooth insertion and improved patient comfort compared to non-coated ones. Learn more about hydrophilic catheter coatings.
- Guidewires: These are thin, flexible wires that guide medical devices during operational procedures. The application of hydrophilic coatings reduces the friction between the biological tissues and guidewires. Learn more about hydrophilic coatings for guidewires.
- Stent Delivery System: Hydrophilic coatings ensure smooth and precise positioning of gastrointestinal stents. These coatings are applied to esophageal stents, duodenal or biliary stents, etc.
- Others: A few more applications of hydrophilic coatings include:
- biopsy forceps
- cytology brushes
- injection needles
- polypectomy snares
- PEG tubes, etc.
- For all of these, the main purpose of the coating is to ensure smooth insertion and navigation during gastrointestinal procedures.
Hydromer® Hydrophilic Coatings Gastroenterology and GI Devices
Hydromer®, Inc. is an advanced hydrophilic coatings manufacturer and supplier with 40+ years of experience. Our custom medical coatings are trusted by some of the industry’s leading medical device manufacturers. From contract R&D to custom coatings supply and contract coating services, you will get a full-service partner to help you meet your medical product goals.
Our coatings are fully customizable, and they are available in both thermal-cure and UV-cure versions.
Get in Touch
Do you need to develop a custom medical coating to meet your product requirements? If so, we can help regardless of what stage you are at in the product development process. You will get more than just a coatings supplier. You will get a partner able to help you meet your product goals. Our team includes highly qualified Ph.D. chemists, scientists, engineers, and regulatory experts.
But what sets Hydromer apart from our competition is our extensive line of support services. Here is a quick list of the services we offer:
- Research and Development (R&D) services
- Contract coating services
- Worldwide supply of high-quality medical coatings
- Specialized Analytical Testing
- Custom Machine Building
- Turn-key Operations
- Technology Transfer Services
- Technical consulting and support services
Contact our team of experts today to learn more about our custom coatings and services.
