On improving blood compatibility: from bioinspired to synthetic design and fabrication of biointerfacial topography at micro/nano scales

Blood compatibility plays an important role in the successful implantation of biomaterials and biodevices such as artificial blood vessels, pace makers, and stents. Developing better blood compatible biomaterials is of great significance in both material and medical sciences. Traditional methods to improve the blood compatibility include minimization of blood/material interactions, chemical modification of drugs on material surfaces and vascular endothelial cell seeding, which still do not meet the requirements of practical applications. In this article we propose a bioinspired strategy to mimic the multiscale micro/nano structures on the inner surface of natural blood vessels, and review recent progress on the design and fabrication of micro/nano scale topography at biointerfaces to improve blood compatibility.