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The use of 3D-printed electrodes is reported fabricated from in-house conductive filament composed of a mixture of recycled poly (lactic acid) (rPLA), graphite (Gpt), and carbon black (CB) for fast detection of the abused drug ketamine. Firstly, the performance of these electrodes was evaluated in comparison to 3D-printed electrodes produced employing a commercially available conductive filament. After a simple pretreatment step (mechanical polishing), the new 3D-printed electrodes presented better performance than the electrodes produced from commercial filament in relation to peak-to-peak separation of the redox probe [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- (130 mV and 759 mV, respectively), charge transfer resistance (Rct = 1.04 ± 0.05 kΩ and 9.62 ± 0.03 kΩ, respectively), and heterogeneous rate constant (k0 = 7.16 ± 0.05 × 10–3 cm s−1 and 3.57 ± 0.03 × 10–3 cm s-1, respectively). Excellent analytical characteristics for the detection of ketamine were achieved, including wide linear range (10 to 250 μmol L-1), excellent sensitivity (0.024 ± 0.001 μA μmol L-1), low limit of detection (LOD = 0.7 μmol L-1), and recovery values from 82 to 115% for beverage samples (white and red wines, beer, water, and vodka) spiked with the abused drug ketamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Circumcision is one of the most common surgical procedures for men. WHO programs aimed at reducing HIV transmission have led to the development of various circumcision devices designed to standardize surgical techniques, reduce operating time and the number of complications.Objective. To examine available data on the efficacy and safety of different methods of device-based circumcision.Materials & methods. The results of a search in scientific databases such as eLibrary and PubMed were analyzed using the keywords: "circumcision", "circumcision device", and "phimosis". The search was conducted without regard to date or language of publication. After reviewing the literature, 25 articles were selected that best reflect the topic of device-assisted circumcision for further analysis.Results. Device-based circumcision can significantly reduce surgical time, regardless of the type of device used. Device-based circumcision is the safe treatment method; however, it may have a higher incidence of adverse events compared to the standard circumcision technique. The use of self-suturing devices is preferred over ring devices due to fewer complications, better cosmetic results, and greater patient satisfaction. The article is supplemented with a description of the surgical technique of various options for device-based circumcision.Conclusion. Device-based circumcision is effective and safe treatment method on an outpatient basis, which successfully competes with conventional circumcision of the foreskin.

A novel conductive filament based on graphite (Gr) dispersed in polylactic acid polymer matrix (PLA) is described to produce 3D-electrochemical devices (Gr/PLA). This conductive filament was used to additively manufacture electrochemical sensors using the 3D pen. Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that Gr was successfully incorporated into PLA, achieving a composite material (40:60% w/w, Gr and PLA, respectively), while Raman and scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of defects and a high porosity on the electrode surface, which contributes to improved electrochemical performance. The 3D-printed Gr/PLA electrode provided a more favorable charge transfer (335 Ω) than the conventional glassy carbon (1277 Ω) and 3D-printed Proto-pasta® (3750 Ω) electrodes. As a proof of concept, the ciprofloxacin antibiotic, a species of multiple interest, was selected as a model molecule. Thus, a square wave voltammetry (SWV) method was proposed in the potential range + 0.9 to + 1.3 V (vs Ag|AgCl|KCl(sat)), which provided a wide linear working range (2 to 32 µmol L−1), 1.79 µmol L−1 limit of detection (LOD), suitable precision (RSD < 7.9%), and recovery values from 94 to 109% when applied to pharmaceutical and milk samples. Additionally, the sensor is free from the interference of other antibiotics routinely employed in veterinary practices. This device is disposable, cost-effective, feasibly produced in financially limited laboratories, and consequently promising for evaluation of other antibiotic species in routine applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) was developed for magnesium determination in saliva samples. The idea was to develop a fast and simple method for biological magnesium quantification targeting saliva as an easy to collect and non-invasive alternative to blood or urine samples. The μPAD approach was chosen due to its advantages, namely ideally suited to conduct on-location determinations, and not requiring trained operators or specialized laboratory equipment. The developed μPAD was based on the colorimetric reaction between eriochrome cyanine and magnesium to form an intense orange/reddish colour product. The colour intensity was determined by image processing after digital scanning, made within 10 to 90 min after sample loading. Under optimal conditions, the dynamic concentration range was 82–247 μM, with detection and quantification limits of 62 μM and 81 μM, respectively. The device is stable for up to 3 months when stored in vacuum or in a modified nitrogen atmosphere. An accuracy assessment was made by comparing the results obtained using the developed μPAD with those from atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The relative difference between the two sets of results was below 5%.

We propose the manufacture and optimization of a flexible electrochemical sensor composed of graphite and the polymer poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). The characterization was performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), contact angle, Raman spectroscopy, mechanical tensile tests, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical composite material shows a high electroactive area (0.52 cm²), with an electron transfer rate constant (k0) of 4.55 × 10−3 cm s−1 for potassium ferricyanide and good reproducibility (relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.5%). As proof of potentiality, the composite sensor was applied for hydroquinone (HQ) detection using the Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) technique. Under optimized manufacturing and instrumental parameters, a linear concentration ranging from 0.1 to 1.4 mmol L−1 HQ with a LOD of 1.01 × 10−6 mol L−1 and LOQ 3.4 × 10−6 mol L−1 were obtained using the flexible composite sensor. In addition, the proposed method was applied to the detection of HQ in the pharmaceutical ointment sample with good agreement between the labelled value and found by the proposed method. Besides, recovery values ranging from 91.85 to 101.37% were obtained, highlighting the adequate accuracy of the method. The sensors described here have the advantage of being flexible, disposable, reproducible (RSD = 4.5%), and of low manufacturing cost ($0.17 per device), which makes them attractive for portable analysis.

This work demonstrates the design, implementation, and experimental results of a low-cost disposable flexible sensor system capable of both impact localization and measurement. The proposed flexible sensor structure utilizes a special series of Bristol paper as the main fabrication material, which is coated with electric paint graphite paste and silver paste. The implemented sensor system uses a planar absolute encoder-like sensing topology to locate the impact and has a low-cost and quick manufacturing process. The size of the structure is ${210}\times {18}.{56}$ mm with a thickness of approximately 340 $\mu \text{m}$. It has an electronic read-out consisting of three identical Wheatstone bridge circuits and instrumentation amplifiers for each bit. It can detect the external forces in the range of 0.6N to 12N with a spatial resolution of 2.4 cm and 0.55 cm in horizontal and vertical axes, respectively. The proposed sensor structure is tested in a series of experiments using a robotic setup consisted of a pantograph mechanism and a direct drive linear motor. The experiments illustrate the results with measurement sensitivity as small as 1N and proper fatigue resilience against repetitive loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel flexible supercapacitor device was developed from a polyethylene terephthalate substrate, reused from beverage bottles, and a conductive ink based on carbon black (CB) and cellulose acetate (CA). The weight composition of the conductive ink was evaluated to determine the best mass percentage ratio between CB and CA in terms of capacitive behavior. The evaluation was performed by using different electrochemical techniques: cyclic voltammetry, obtaining the highest capacitance value for the device with the 66.7/33.3 wt% CB/CA in a basic H2SO4 solution, reaching 135.64 F g−1. The device was applied in potentiostatic charge/discharge measurements, achieving values of 2.45 Wh kg−1 for specific energy and around 1000 W kg−1 for specific power. Therefore, corroborated with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy assays, the relatively low-price proposed device presented a suitable performance for application as supercapacitors, being manufactured from reused materials, contributing to the energy storage field enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron is an important micronutrient involved in several mechanisms in the human body and can be an important biomarker. In this work, a simple and disposable microfluidic paper-based analytical device (µPAD) was developed for the quantification of iron in urine samples. The detection was based on the colorimetric reaction between iron(II) and bathophenanthroline and the reduction of iron(III) to iron(II) with hydroxylamine. The developed µPAD enabled iron determination in the range 0.07–1.2 mg/L, with a limit of detection of 20 µg/L and a limit of quantification of 65 µg/L, thus suitable for the expected values in human urine. Additionally, targeting urine samples, the potential interference of the samples color was overcome by incorporating a sample blank assessment for absorbance subtraction. Stability studies revealed that the device was stable for 15 days prior to usage and that the formed colored product was stable for scanning up to 3 h. The accuracy of the developed device was established by analyzing urine samples (#26) with the developed µPAD and with the atomic absorption spectrometry method; the relative deviation between the two sets of results was below 9.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present a compact micro-opto-fluidic sensing platform for the measurement of volumetric refractive index (RI) variations of ultra-low volumes of fluids with respect to a reference liquid. In the instrumental configuration, we employed a disposable plastic micro-channel, which was customized with integrated back and front aluminum reflectors, deposited by sputtering. The presence of the double metallization is exploited to create a zigzag guiding path for the radiation provided by a semiconductor laser diode, so that light crosses the fluid under test multiple times before reaching a 1-D Position Sensitive Detector (PSD). According to Snell law, when fluids with different RI indices fill the channel, the radiation is deflected at different angles and the output beam shifts along the channel surface. RI variations are monitored by measuring the position of the output light spot on the surface of the PSD. To validate the results, a theoretical model based on ray optics was developed to study the propagation of the radiation travelling through the fluidic channel. Experimental results showed a beam displacement per RI unit up to 3234 μm/RIU, in agreement with the prediction of the analytical model. The proposed sensing method is label-free, contactless, non-invasive, and biologically safe. Moreover, the micro-opto-fluidic sensing platform could be exploited in a wide range of applications, ranging from biology to medicine to the agri-food industry.

A novel flexible supercapacitor device was developed from a polyethylene terephthalate substrate, reused from beverage bottles, and a conductive ink based on carbon black (CB) and cellulose acetate (CA). The weight composition of the conductive ink was evaluated to determine the best mass percentage ratio between CB and CA in terms of capacitive behavior. The evaluation was performed by using different electrochemical techniques: cyclic voltammetry, obtaining the highest capacitance value for the device with the 66.7/33.3 wt% CB/CA in a basic H2SO4 solution, reaching 135.64 F g−1. The device was applied in potentiostatic charge/discharge measurements, achieving values of 2.45 Wh kg−1 for specific energy and around 1000 W kg−1 for specific power. Therefore, corroborated with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy assays, the relatively low-price proposed device presented a suitable performance for application as supercapacitors, being manufactured from reused materials, contributing to the energy storage field enhancement.

A disposable screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) modified with an ionic liquid/graphene composite (IL/G) exhibits a wider potential window, excellent conductivity, and specific surface area for the improvement in the voltammetric signal of rapamycin detection. The modified composite was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical behavior of rapamycin at the modified SPCE was investigated by cyclic and square wave voltammetry in 60:40 EtOH: 0.1 M LiClO4 at pH 5.0. A high reproducible and well-defined peak with a high peak current were obtained for rapamycin detection at a position potential of + 0.98 V versus Ag/AgCl. Under the optimized conditions, the rapamycin concentration in the range 0.1 to 100 μM (R2 = 0.9986) had a good linear relation with the peak current. The detection limit of this method was 0.03 μM (3SD/slope). The proposed device can selectively detect rapamycin in the presence of commonly interfering compounds. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to determine rapamycin in urine and blood samples with excellent recoveries. These devices are disposable and cost-effective and might be used as an alternative tool for detecting rapamycin in biological samples and other biological compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fecal incontinence (FI) is a highly prevalent condition known to substantially impair a patient's quality of life. Although a non-invasive treatment option, currently available anal plugs are poorly tolerated, not significantly effective and therefore not often used. We present a new disposable device based on an innovative concept that renews the interest for non-invasive "external" control of bowel content for FI patients. The Contix™ (Forconti Medical Ltd, Cesarea, Israel) permits creation of temporary "artificial" fecal impaction to avoid bowel leakage while inserted high into the "non sensitive" rectum where it is not felt by the patient and therefore tolerated for 6- to 12- hour use. This European conformity (CE)-marked device has a unique design that allows insertion, usage and removal in a similar manner to a vaginal pad. It comes in 2 parts: a flexible silicone-based oval-shaped biocompatible balloon and an applicator in which the balloon is folded for self-insertion. An external tube allows for the balloon to be inflated with 60-100ml. of air. In doing this, small smooth tines deploy on its surface to help maintain the balloon in place. A pulling string with a ring stays out of the anal canal to deflate and withdraw the balloon inverted on itself at end of use. Device handling that includes rectal insertion and withdrawal feasibility, wear time, comfort at the different steps of use, safety and of course effectiveness of Contix™ have been tested in small trials yet to be published but pilot studies support its uses at greater scale in expert centers in Europe and the United States. In summary the Contix™ is a non-invasive device for FI management based on an innovative concept. Initial results support its spread to identify its role as an ancillary service to existing approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a simple micropump for disposable microfluidic devices. The pump is constructed using a freeze-dried disc of a superabsorbent polymer (SAP). The disc absorbs a solution in a flow channel and swells upward in a pumping chamber. Despite the simple structure of this device, the rate of absorption remains constant and can be adjusted by changing the composition of the SAP, its size, the dimensions of the flow channel and the medium to be absorbed. The pumping action can be initiated by applying an electrical signal using a switchable hydrophobic valve. The integrated approach of the SAP pump and switchable valve could facilitate the automatic processing of many solutions required for bioassay.

Graphical abstract Highlights • A commercial ovulation test was powered with enzymatic biofuel cells. • 5 biofuel cells were assembled in a flow through stack and connected in series. • This stack provided the necessary voltage of 3 V to run the device. • 3 test could be run without any loss of performances. • These glucose fuel cells can replace currently used batteries in disposable devices. Abstract A disposable ovulation test is operated using a flow stack of 5 in series connected glucose biofuel cells giving an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 3.5 V. Such tests consume at total around 60 μWh of energy and in average 1.7 mW of power during one run of around 12 min which are supplied by a CR1220 3 V lithium button battery in the commercialized device. We replaced this battery by the glucose biofuel cell stack and observed during the measurements and display steps peak currents up to 1.4 mA inducing a voltage drop down to 2.8 V during few seconds (4 mW of power consumption). Even such power peaks are supported by the presented biofuel cell stack assuring the necessary operational cell voltage and current. After the measurements towards Luteinizing Hormone (LH) detection the display remains turned on for 8 min and consumes just 2 μW which allows to reestablish the initial OCV and to run a further test. The presented results demonstrate as proof of concept the suitability of eco-friendly enzymatic glucose biofuel cells as alternative power source for disposable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia (NH 3 ) gas monitoring is of outmost importance, once its emission above toxic levels in poultry farms can cause environmental pollution and also pose a threat on the quality of livestock, affecting the poultry production and health. Herein we report on the development of a low cost, flexible and disposable sensor device (GFP@PSS/PANI) for sensitive and selective ammonia detection at room temperature. Specifically, the sensing platform was composed by a glass microfiber paper (GFP) coated with poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) through drop-casting and polyaniline (PANI) through in situ polymerization. Various techniques including SEM and FTIR were employed to characterize the as-prepared sensing materials. Upon exposure to ammonia, the developed sensor device shows a rapid, sensitive and reversible response with a limit detection of 125 ppb and good selectivity against other common interferents such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, most commonly found in poultry farm environment. This study provides a simple method to prepare a unique room-temperature ammonia sensing platform of low-cost and high performance, which is suitable for monitoring and controlling ammonia level in poultry farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper for the first time we successfully detect bacterial flagellar filaments from Proteus mirabilis using molecularly imprinted artificial receptors. These receptors acted as a sensing layer of the biosensors, assembled by imprinting flagellar proteins onto a polymeric backbone of electropolymerized phenol. In short, flagellar filaments were absorbed onto a carbon support, phenol was electropolymerized around it through the carbon conductive matrix to create the protein molecular molds, and finally the flagellar proteins were removed by enzymatic and electrochemical action. Each removed flagellar protein gave rise to an imprinted site with eventual rebinding ability. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) were employed to measure the interaction of flagellar filaments with the sensing layer assembled on commercial screen-printed electrodes, providing low detection limits, high precision and selectivity toward the targeted protein. The detection limit was 0.7 ng/mL by EIS and 0.9 ng/mL by SWV. The artificial receptors were further assembled on home-made paper-printed electrodes, with the three-electrode system printed on a paper substrate, offering the possibility of detecting flagellar filaments at as low as 0.6 ng/mL with a disposable and cost-effective portable device. To the best of our knowledge this is the first sensing device where molecularly imprinted artificial receptors are tailored on home-made electrode based on paper substrates with three electrodes assembled together, which is a suitable approach for the fabrication of easy and cost-effective tailored electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the indirect detection of bacteria, by targeting an outer membrane protein on a disposable device. Protein A (PA) was selected for this purpose, as a representative protein of the outer surface of Staphylococcus aureus . The imprinted polymer was assembled directly on a film of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), placed on screen-printed electrodes (SPEs). The MIP material was produced by electropolymerizing 3-aminophenol in the presence of the protein template (PA) using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The proteins entrapped at the polymeric backbone were digested by the action of proteolytic activity of proteinase K and then washed away to create vacant sites. The performance of the corresponding imprinted and non-imprinted electrodes was evaluated by EIS and the effect of several variables, such as monomer and template concentrations, or thickness of imprinting surface, was controlled and optimized by the number of CV cycles. The detection limit of the MIP-based sensors was 0.60 nM in MES buffer. High repeatability and good selectivity were observed in the presence of a model protein BSA. The sensor performance was also tested to check the effect of inorganic ions in tap water. The detection limit observed was 16.83 nM, with a recovery factor of 91.1 ± 6.6%. The sensor described in this work is a potential tool for screening PA on-site, due to the simplicity of fabrication, disposability, short response time, low cost, good sensitivity and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new disposable LSG sensor was fabricated using Polyetherimide substrate. • The LSG sensor presented high reproducibility, sensitivity, and selectivity. • The LSG sensor was applied for simultaneous detection of emerging pollutants. • A porous graphene-like material with high electrochemical performance was developed. A novel and inexpensive laser-scribed graphene (LSG) sensor using polyetherimide (PEI) substrate was fabricated using CO 2 laser. The material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and electrochemical techniques, demonstrating a high porous carbonaceous material, which resulted in an electroactive area with 2.4-fold enhancement compared to geometric area and a high heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k°) of 3.20 × 10−2 cm/s for ferricyanide redox probe. As a proof of applicability, the LSG-PEI sensor was applied for simultaneous detection of hydroquinone (HQ), paracetamol (PA), and methylparaben (MP) emerging pollutants (EP) in tap water and natural (lake) water samples, providing recoveries between 93.1 % and 118 % with limits of detection of 9.42 × 10−8, 3.23 × 10−7, and 2.95 × 10−7 mol/L for HQ, PA, and MP, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report a disposable microfluidic impedance cytometer attached on a reusable printed circuit board (PCB) with dielectric layer for single cell detection. The cover slide acts as a dielectric layer which allows the AC signal to sense the impedance change cross the microfluidic channel. The microfluidic chip can be disposed; while the bottom PCB with pre-deposited electrodes is reusable after each sample test. We experimentally demonstrate that the developed device is able to selectively detect HeLa cells, a type of umor cells, and ignore Red Blood Cells (RBCs). Integration of low cost and disposable microfluidic chip with reusable PCBs widely available in the industry is of great potential in point of care diagnosis of cancer, especially in the developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To compare the EnSeal device with standard bipolar coagulation forceps in laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LASH). Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled trial (Canadian Task Force classification I). Setting: University hospital. Patients: One hundred sixty patients who underwent LASH. Intervention: Eighty patients underwent LASH using the EnSeal device (experimental group), and 80 patients underwent LASH using standard bipolar coagulation forceps (control group) (www.clinicaltrials.gov; study identifier NCT01806012). Measurements and Main Results: Mean (SD) total operative time was 78.18 (33.96) minutes in the experimental group and 86.30 (35.34) minutes in the control group (p = .03). Documented blood loss was <50 mL in 72 patients in the experimental group and 62 patients in the control group (p = .03), and was 50 to 100 mL in 8 patients in the experimental group and 18 patients in the control group (p < .001). Postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter for patients in the experimental group compared with the control group: 2.01 (0.44) days vs 2.17 (0.47) days, respectively (p = .03). There was no difference in postoperative pain scores and complications between the two treatment groups. Conclusion: Total resection time was shorter in the experimental group, and the other investigated clinical parameters were not inferior in the experimental group compared with the control group. The results of the present study indicate that use of the EnSeal device is at least as reliable as the conventional electrocoagulation technique in LASH. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Genetic modification of cells is a critical step involved in many cell therapy and gene therapy protocols. In these applications, cell samples of large volume (108–109 cells) are often processed for transfection. This poses new challenges for current transfection methods and practices. Here we present a novel flow-through electroporation method for delivery of genes into cells at high flow rates (up to ∼20mL/min) based on disposable microfluidic chips, a syringe pump, and a low-cost direct current (DC) power supply that provides a constant voltage. By eliminating pulse generators used in conventional electroporation, we dramatically lowered the cost of the apparatus and improved the stability and consistency of the electroporation field for long-time operation. We tested the delivery of pEFGP-C1 plasmids encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein into Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells in the devices of various dimensions and geometries. Cells were mixed with plasmids and then flowed through a fluidic channel continuously while a constant voltage was established across the device. Together with the applied voltage, the geometry and dimensions of the fluidic channel determined the electrical parameters of the electroporation. With the optimal design, ∼75% of the viable CHO cells were transfected after the procedure. We also generalize the guidelines for scaling up these flow-through electroporation devices. We envision that this technique will serve as a generic and low-cost tool for a variety of clinical applications requiring large volume of transfected cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A simple micro-capillary electrophoresis system to be used as disposable device was developed. A short commercial capillary was used as the separation channel, hydrostatic pressure generated by the sample employed for injection, and a voltage of 200 V used for separation in a 6 cm long capillary assisted by hydrostatic pressure of the carrier. The device was used for the separation of dopamine and catechol. Good reproducibility and efficiency was obtained. Because the instrumentation and operation conditions were simplified, and a replaceable modular separation channel was used, the proposed micro-capillary electrophoresis system is potentially useful in disposable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand in interventional cardiology urges for reprocessing of single-use-labelled medical devices. To fulfil this aim, accurate and validated regeneration protocols are mandatory to guarantee sterility, functionality and safeness. The reprocessing protocol was realized by decontamination with chloro-donors, cleaning with enzymatic solutions and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma sterilization. Reprocessing effects on ablation and electrophysiology catheters were evaluated by assessing physical–chemical changes on surfaces and bulks, as a function of the reprocessing cycles number. Conventional optical microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) underlined the presence of micro-scratches on the polyurethane shaft surface. A clear correlation was found between surface damages and number of reprocessing cycles. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirmed the occurrence of physical–chemical etching of the polyurethane shaft caused by the hydrogen peroxide plasma sterilization, with increasing of nano-roughness at increasing number of the reprocessing cycles. UV–Vis spectra performed on the incubation solution of polymeric shaft sample, showed an absorbance increase at about 208 nm. This fact could be attributed to the water elution from the polymer of low molecular weight oligomers. The presence of hydrolysis products of the polymeric shaft after incubation demands both the characterization of the products released in the solution and the chemical characterization of the water exposed surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]