Streaming Potential

Summary

Bioelectric charge transfer at the blood-wall interface may be a crucial factor affecting thrombosis on implant materials. The in-vitro streaming potential test technique offers a very sensitive, yet simple, means for observing this interfacial electrokinetic charge phenomena. Particular attention to test control variables is required, however, to obtain valid, comparative results. Due to the dynamic, changing nature of some surfaces on the molecular scale, reproducibility of results is subject to question and necessitates repeated runs to gain assurance of results.

It is demonstrated that this method of evaluation is an extremely sensitive tool in the study of blood-surface inter-actions. Changes in streaming potentials are dramatically revealed upon introduction of minute quantities of blood protein elements and drugs affecting blood coagulation. The techniques for applying this test method to the study of thrombosis are illustrated.

Streaming potential testing is a possible tool for realizing quality control in the preparation of anti-thrombogenic materials for cardiovascular implants. It may serve as a check, both on the formation of a proper surface and on the stability of this surface under physiological environment conditions.

^* Supported by a grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation.

^** Address requests for reprints to: K.W. Edmark, M.D., Director, Cardiovascular Associates Laboratory, Providence Hospital, 17th and E. Jefferson, Seattle, Washington 98122.

• References

• 1 Gortner R. A, Briggs D. R. Glass Surfaces Versus Paraffin Surfaces in Blood-Clotting Phenomena-a Hypothesis. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol 25: 820 1928;
• 2 Wood L. A, Horan F. E, Sheppard E, Wright I. S. Zeta-Potential Measurements as a Tool for Studying Certain Aspects of Blood Coagulation. In: Blood Clotting and Allied Problems. 89 Flynn J. E. editor. Josiah Macy Foundation; New York: 1950
• 3 Wood L. A. Effect of Various Anti-coagulants on Surface Potentials of Blood Components in Vitro. In: Biophysical Mechanisms in Vascular Hemeostasis and Intravascular Thrombosis. Sawyer P. N. editor. Appleton, Century, Crofts; New York: 1965
• 4 Ross Jr. J, Greenfield L. J, Bowman R. L, Morrow A. G. The Chemical Structure and Surface Propterties of Certain Synthetic Polymers and Their Relationship to Thrombosis. In: Prosthetic Valves for Cardiac Surgery. Charles C. Thomas; Springfield: 111 1961
• 5 Leininger R. I, Mirkovitch V, Beck R. E, Ardrus P. G, Kolff W. J. The Zeta Potentials of Some Selected Solids in Respect to Plasma and Plasma Fractions. Trans. Amer. Soc. Artif. Int. Organs 10: 237 1964;
• 6 Leininger R. I, Epstein M. M, Falb R. D, Grode G. A. Preparation of Nonthrombogenic Plastic Surfaces. Trans. Amer. Soc. Artif. Int. Organs 12: 151 1966;
• 7 Sawyer P. N, Page J. W, Weldon G. S. Relations of Abnormal and Injury Electric Potential Differences to Intravascular Thrombosis. Amer. J. Physiol 175: 108 1953;
• 8 Sears D. A. Effects of Implants on Blood. In: Plastics in Surgical Implants. 88 ASTM; Philadelphia: 1965
• 9 Davila J. D. The Development of Artificial Heart Valves. In: Plastics in Surgical Implants. 1 ASTM; Philadelphia: 1965
• 10 Sawyer P. N, Srinivasan S. Metallic and Plastic Prosthetic Devices as Vascular Wall Substitute: Biophysical Criteria and Methods for Evaluation. J. Biomed. Mater. Res 01: 83 1967;
• 11 Milligan H. L, Davis J, Edmark K. W. The Search for Correlation Between Electrokinetic Phenomena and Blood Thrombus Formation on Implant Materials. J. Biomed. Mater. Res 02: 51 1968;
• 12 Gott V. L, Whiffen J. D, Dutton R. C, Lenininger R. I, Young W. P. Biophysical Studies on Various Graphite-Benzalkonium-Heparin Surface. In: Biophysical Mechanisms in Vascular Homeostasis and Intravascular Thrombosis. P.N. Sawyer, editor. Appleton, Century, Crofts; New York: 1965
• 13 Leininger R. I, Epstein M. M, Falb R. D. Nonthrombogenic Plastic Surfaces. In: Digest of the 6th International Conference on Medical Electronics and Biological Engineering. Tokyo: 1965: 349.
• 14 Falb R. D, Takahashi M. T, Grode G. A, Lenininger R. I. Studies on the Stability and Protein Adsorption Characteristics of Heparinized Polymer Surfaces by Radioisotope Labeling Technique. J. Biomed. Mater. Res 01: 239 1967;
• 15 Gott V. L, Whiffin J. D, Dutton R. G. Heparin Bonding on Colloidal Graphite Surfaces. Science 142: 1297 1963;
• 16 Davies J. T, Rideal E. K. Interfacial Phenomena. Academic Press; New York: 1963
• 17 Kruyt H. R. Colloid Science I. Elsevier Publishing Company; New York: 1952
• 18 Abramson H. H. Electrokinetic Phenomena and Their Application to Biology and Medicine. The Chemical Catalog Company, Inc; New York: 1934
• 19 Kahn A. R, Sattler F. P. Origin of Streaming Potentials and Motion Artifacts in Biological Electrodes. In: Engineering in Medicine and Biology. Proceedings of the 17th Annual Conference. 6 Wellesley Press; Mass: 1966
• 20 Boyd W. Surgical Pathology. 6th edition,. 82 W.B. Saunders Company; Philadelphia: 1947
• 21 Quick A. J. As quoted in “Proceedings of a Conference on Thrombotic Phenomena in Women”. Headquarters American Medical Association. Chicago: 1962
• 22 Davis J, Edmark K. W. To be published..
• 23 Seaman G. V. F. Surface Potential and Platelet Aggregation. In: Platelets: Their Role in Hemostasis and Thrombosis. Thrombos. Diathes. haemorrh. (Stuttg.) Supp. 26: 60 1967;