Application of a Loop-Type Laboratory Biofilm Reactor to the Evaluation of Biofilm for Some Metallic Materials and Polymers such as Urinary Stents and Catheters

Hideyuki Kanematsu; Hikonaru Kudara; Shun Kanesaki; Takeshi Kogo; Hajime Ikegai; Akiko Ogawa; Nobumitsu Hirai

doi:10.3390/ma9100824

Application of a Loop-Type Laboratory Biofilm Reactor to the Evaluation of Biofilm for Some Metallic Materials and Polymers such as Urinary Stents and Catheters

Materials (Basel). 2016 Oct 11;9(10):824. doi: 10.3390/ma9100824.

Authors

Hideyuki Kanematsu¹, Hikonaru Kudara², Shun Kanesaki³, Takeshi Kogo⁴, Hajime Ikegai⁵, Akiko Ogawa⁶, Nobumitsu Hirai⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College, Suzuka Mie 510-0294, Japan. kanemats@mse.suzuka-ct.ac.jp.
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College, Suzuka Mie 510-0294, Japan. h28b03@ed.cc.suzuka-ct.ac.jp.
³ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College, Suzuka Mie 510-0294, Japan. h28b02@ed.cc.suzuka-ct.ac.jp.
⁴ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College, Suzuka Mie 510-0294, Japan. kogo@mse.suzuka-ct.ac.jp.
⁵ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College, Suzuka Mie 510-0294, Japan. ikigai@chem.suzuka-ct.ac.jp.
⁶ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College, Suzuka Mie 510-0294, Japan. ogawa@chem.suzuka-ct.ac.jp.
⁷ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College, Suzuka Mie 510-0294, Japan. hirai@chem.suzuka-ct.ac.jp.

Abstract

A laboratory biofilm reactor (LBR) was modified to a new loop-type closed system in order to evaluate novel stents and catheter materials using 3D optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Two metallic specimens, pure nickel and cupronickel (80% Cu-20% Ni), along with two polymers, silicone and polyurethane, were chosen as examples to ratify the system. Each set of specimens was assigned to the LBR using either tap water or an NB (Nutrient broth based on peptone from animal foods and beef extract mainly)-cultured solution with E-coli formed over 48-72 h. The specimens were then analyzed using Raman Spectroscopy. 3D optical microscopy was employed to corroborate the Raman Spectroscopy results for only the metallic specimens since the inherent roughness of the polymer specimens made such measurements difficult. The findings suggest that the closed loop-type LBR together with Raman spectroscopy analysis is a useful method for evaluating biomaterials as a potential urinary system.

Keywords: Raman spectroscopy; biofilm; loop-type laboratory biofilm reactor.