Boron Carbon Nitride (BCN) Nano-Coatings of Central Venous Catheters Inhibits Bacterial Colonization

Abstract

Central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) are commonly induced due to bacterial colonization of medical devices such as central venous catheters (CVCs) and is leading cause of concern due to increasing hospitalization duration, costs, and morbidity. This study evaluated the efficacy of boron carbon nitride (BCN) nano-coatings on CVC for antimicrobial activity. RF magnetron sputtering technique was utilized to deposit nano-coatings of BCN on CVCs. For comparison purposes, RF magnetron sputtered TiO2 nano-coatings were also investigated. Antimicrobial activity of nano-coatings was tested against gram-positive Bacillus cereus and gram-negative Escherichia coli bacterial cells. Nanoparticle coated and uncoated catheter surfaces were studied using FE-SEM and AFM to determine if the surface characteristics correlated with anti-adhesive effects of the bacteria. Biofilm formation on uncoated and BCN coated catheters was quantified using absorbance spectrophotometry.