Premium
In vitro biofilm growth on modern voice prostheses
Author(s) -
Leonhard Matthias,
Zatorska Beata,
Tan Yulong,
Moser Doris,
SchneiderStickler Berit
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.25053
Subject(s) - biofilm , silicone , voice prosthesis , in vitro , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , materials science , medicine , biology , surgery , bacteria , larynx , composite material , laryngectomy , biochemistry , genetics
Background Biofilm formation on voice prostheses in laryngectomized patients usually limits the lifetime of the device. The purpose of this study was to compare the biofilm resistance of different valve flaps of modern voice prostheses in an in vitro simulation of an oropharyngeal biofilm. Methods Growth of biofilm deposits on valve flaps (n = 12) removed from Provox 2, Provox Vega, Provox ActiValve, Blom Singer Advantage, and Phonax voice prostheses was evaluated and compared to medical‐grade silicone (n = 12) in an in vitro biofilm model (22 days) after incubation with a multispecies bacterial‐fungal biofilm composition. Results The Provox ActiValve and the Blom Singer Advantage prostheses showed significantly less surface biofilm formation than the other prostheses and then silicone. Conclusion The use of silver oxide and Teflon as valve flap materials proves to reduce long‐term biofilm formation in vitro. The applied model allows rapid screening for novel biofilm‐inhibitive materials and durable coatings designated for more biofilm resistant medical devices.