Tribology of Medical Devices

A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 684

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, China
Interests: surface engineering; tribology; mechanical damage

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Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Interests: biomaterials; design; mechanical testing; medical devices

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to extend an invitation for submissions to this Special Issue titled "Tribology of Medical Devices". Our aim with this Special Issue is to compile a comprehensive collection of the most recent, cutting-edge developments and innovations in the field of vascular tribology.

We are seeking both review articles and original research studies that provide theoretical explorations, ground-breaking experimental research, and inventive computational approaches. These contributions will help deepen our understanding of the mechanisms at play on multiple scales. We also encourage novel applications that push the existing boundaries of this field. The scope of this Special Issue includes topics such as friction, wear, lubrication, and contact mechanics in the context of blood, vascular tissue, and vascular-related devices, as well as surface engineering techniques and the design and fabrication of these engineered surfaces.

We are particularly eager to receive submissions from a diverse range of academics, industry researchers, and practitioners who are contributing to this rapidly evolving field. This call for papers represents an exceptional opportunity for your work to reach a broad audience and for you to engage with others in your field.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Chengxiong Lin
Prof. Dr. Duncan E. T. Shepherd
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Lubricants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • friction
  • wear
  • lubrication
  • contact mechanics
  • surface engineering
  • finite element simulation
  • damage evaluation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

20 pages, 7436 KB  
Review
Current Status and Future Prospects of Small-Diameter Artificial Blood Vessels
by Zhaoxian Zheng, Menglin Zhou, Xiaolu Jiang, Zihan Lin, Jianhua Jin, Qi Wan, Chengxiong Lin and Li Zhang
Lubricants 2025, 13(12), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13120537 - 11 Dec 2025
Viewed by 444
Abstract
Small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs, ≤6 mm) face significant barriers in vascular reconstruction due to poor long-term patency stemming from thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and mechanical mismatch. Increasing rates of cardiovascular disease and limited autologous vessel supply underscore the urgent need for functional SDVGs. This [...] Read more.
Small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs, ≤6 mm) face significant barriers in vascular reconstruction due to poor long-term patency stemming from thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and mechanical mismatch. Increasing rates of cardiovascular disease and limited autologous vessel supply underscore the urgent need for functional SDVGs. This review discusses the critical failure mechanisms of SDVGs and recent material-based advances—hydrophilic modifications, charge control, micro- and nano-engineering, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory treatments, and controlled bioactive release (e.g., heparin, nitric oxide, t-PA). It details progress in cellular and tissue engineering for rapid endothelialization, smooth muscle regeneration, and mechanical durability. The review also highlights emerging gene engineering, the use of bioactive peptides, and molecular pathway strategies for physiological antithrombotic restoration. Finally, it outlines future directions, including smart materials, accelerated endothelialization, advanced manufacturing (3D printing, multilayer electrospinning), multifunctional composites, and clinical translation. Overall, SDVG research is shifting toward active, regenerative vascular substitutes with improved clinical prospects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology of Medical Devices)
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