PVA/gelatin-based hydrogel coating of nickel-titanium alloy for improved tissue-implant interface

Nickel-titanium shape memory alloys have attracted notable interest for biomedical applications due to their unique properties. However, there are still some concerns on the potential release of nickel ions causing adverse reactions in-vivo at high concentrations. In this work, samples were coated with a polyvinyl alcohol/gelatin hydrogel. Coating stability, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility were investigated. Coated samples exhibited similar shape memory response to that of the uncoated substrates in wire form. Additionally, the hydrogel coating led to a decrease in the surface temperature and significantly improved the corrosion resistance of the shape memory substrate. The presence of the hydrogel layer does not affect the biocompatibility of the alloy while providing a semi-degradable, hydrophilic surface that forms a cushion at the tissue-implant interfaces.