A non-crosslinked biocompatible polymer is formed from a radical polymerisable ethylenically unsaturated zwitterionic monomer containing a sulpho-betaine zwitterionic group and a radical polymerisable ethylenically unsaturated comonomer containing a hydrophobic group selected from C6-24-alkyl, C1-24-fluoroalkyl and siloxane groups. Suitable copolymers are of N,N-dimethyl ammonium-N-propylsulphonate-N-ethyl methacrylate and dodecylmethacrylate. The polymer may be used to coat substrates to render them biocompatible, especially hemocompatible. The hydrophobic groups render the polymer particularly suitable for coating hydrophobic substrates.
Polymeric surface coatings