Method: Medical Grade Peek Rod [Invibio, Inc.] was cut in slices (1”Dia./1mm thick) with a cut-off saw(232 tooth/4”Dia.) to generate surface grooves (characterized by SEM) for CA measurement. CA (N=18) were measured for de-ionized water(dW), Glycerol(G) and Bromonapthalene(BN) drops using a Rame-Hart model200 goniometer at~20 C o. CA measurements parallel and perpendicular to grooves for untreated & plasma treated surfaces evaluated their effects on CA of test liquids compared to smooth surface. Plasma treatment was performed with PVA TePla air plasma pen so overlapping plumes at radii of 12, 9, 6 and 3 mm w/proportioned rotation times based on treatment of 40sec.@12mm for pen set 9 mm above the rotating discs. Rotating discs (2000rpm) where attached to Tulsa electric handpiece with pop-on mandrel. The “apparent”CA for treated grooved surfaces were evaluated for dW,G,BN. XPS of plasma treated surfaces were compared with the untreated surfaces. Statistical comparisons used student-t(p<0.05).
Results: Untreated Peek CA Parallel grooves/Perpendicular grooves/Smooth(literature)were: dWater(97.1+/- 4.1o )/(114.8+/- 4.8o)/(91.0o); Glycerol(79.5+/- 7.9o )/(91.3+/- 3.5o )/(72.0o); Bromonapthalene (32.2+/- 4.7o )/(28.5+/- 4.4o)/(27.2o). Smooth CA are significantly different(P<.001) from grooved except for BN. Treated PEEK CA of water(~8o) was only measureable as G and BN spread(CA~0o). XPS was: untreated (82.40+/-.0 %Carbon; 12.69+/-.01 %Oxygen; 2.73+/-.62 %Silicon); Treated: (58.22+/-.14 %Carbon; 35.4+/-.20 % Oxygen).
Conclusions: “Apparent”CA agreed with theory. Plasma treatment greatly increased wettability and surface oxygen.