Effective methods to improve the biocompatibility of poly (dimethylsiloxane)

Abstract

Poly (dimethylsiloxane) (Pi has become one of the popular materials in the field of bio-related microfluidic systems, and has been used for various biological assays. While the material is known to be biocompatible in general, it also has been reported that the attachment and survival rate of cells are limited on a Pi substrate. In this paper, a simple and relevant method to improve the biocompatibility of Pi is proposed; the effects of various treatments using ethanol, water, and boiling-water were evaluated. The results show that the boiling-water treatment is the most appropriate, time saving, and simple method to improve the biocompatibility of Pi