O p tical P ro fi lo m etry ................................................................................................. 3 9
 Results and Discussion ........................................... ................ 40
 M odulu s R esults................................. .. ......... ... ....... .... ............ 40
 Surface Energy of Silicone Elastom ers............................................ ....... ...... 41
 Contact Angles of Treated Surfaces ........................................ ....... .............. 44
 Plasm a Treatm ent Issues............................ ................. .... ........ .............. 45
 D ynam ic Contact A ngle..................... ....................................... .......................... 49
 O optical P rofi lom etry ................................................................................................. 52

4 CONTACT GUIDANCE OF ENDOTHELIAL CELLS ............................................57

 In tro d u ctio n ......................................................... ............... 5 7
 M materials ...................................... ........ .............. 57
 Elastom er Substrates ........... ...... ......... .. .. .............................. 57
 C ell C u ltu re an d S eedin g .......................................................................................... 5 8
 M e th o d s........................................................................................................... .. ........ 5 9
 E lastom er Sam ple P reparation ............................................................ .............. 59
 Surface Treatm ent by Fibronectin ........................................ .......... .............. 59
 Surface Treatm ent by RFG D Plasm a................................................. .. .................. 59
 Cell Culture Techniques .. ..... .......................................... ...... .............. 60
 C ell passage procedure ......................................................... ................... 60
 Determination of cell suspension concentration............................................... 61
 C ell S eedin g on S am p les .......................................................................................... 6 1
 C ell Staining and Im age C apture .................................................................. ...... 62
 Image Analysis......................................... ............ 63
 Results and Discussion ............................................................... ............ 65
 Contact Guidance on Textured Surfaces.......................... ..... .............. 65
 Contact Guidance on Textured Surfaces of Varying Modulus............................. 72

5 CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK ........................................80

 C o n c lu sio n s ......................................................... ............... 8 0
 M icrotextured Surfaces ................................................... ......... .............. 80
 Surface Energy and Treatment......................... ................... .. .............. 81
 Contact Guidance on Textured Elastom ers.......................................... ... ................. 82
 F u tu re W o rk ......................................... .. .............................................. 8 3
 Surface Treatment ................ ............. ....................... ..... ........ .. 83
 Topographical D design ............. ..... ......... ..... ............... ................. 83
 C e ll S tu d ie s ...................... .. ............. .. .................................................. 8 4

LIST OF REFEREN CES .................................................................... ............... 85

B IO G R A PH IC A L SK E TCH ..................................................................... ..................97