Influence of fluorocarbon plasma polymer films on the growth of primary human fibroblasts

Pulsed radio-frequency plasmas containing a mixture of fluorocarbon, argon, and water vapor have been applied to multichamber slides in order to study the biocompatibility in accordance with ISO 10993-5. According to this standard, the biocompatibility and/or in vitro toxicity of new developed materials is tested with fibroblast cultures. This study deals with the examination of adhesion, proliferation, and cell death of human primary fibroblasts on surfaces gradually coated with fluorocarbon polymer. Besides surface energy, chemical effects as there are chemical functions and the chemical composition of the surface, play an important role in the interaction of human fibroblasts with surfaces. Thus, the data obtained from cell cultivation are correlated to the surface properties as obtained from contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.