Hemocompatibility

During the use of medical devices, in some situations, for example, open heart surgery or vascular grafts, the device comes into direct contact with the blood. Blood may directly contact devices including needles, cannulae, blood containers, extracorporeal circuits, and dialysis components. Each of these uses have differing concerns with regard to hemocompatibility. The properties that define hemocompatibility include the ability to initiate thrombogenic phenomena, cause any hemolysis, and activate the complement system.