Distant Transport of Antimicrobial Protection by Implantable Polymeric Meshes

Implantable polymeric meshes are used to mechanically reinforce tissues and stabilize the surgical pocket of artificial implants, including cardiac implantable electronic devices and implantable neuromodulators. Their function depends on the mesh architecture formed by interlaced microfilaments and yarns. Antimicrobial protection can be added through uniform antibiotic-eluting coatings; however, these polymeric layers increase mesh rigidity and reduce porosity and compliance, thereby compromising mechanical performance. An alternative strategy enables drug elution from a distinct, contiguous component that does not alter the intrinsic structural properties of the mesh. For this approach, a multiphysics structural model was developed to evaluate how the mesh influences drug distribution and antimicrobial protection. The model captures the key transport phenomena governing soluble molecule movement in the mesh and accurately predicts the temporal and spatial extent of antimicrobial protection. In vitro and in vivo validation support the use of distinct implantable meshes and drug-eluting components to protect both the implant interface and the surgical pocket from bacterial contamination while preserving the mesh structure.