A serious issue related to biomedical devices (BDs) is that of bacterial infections. BDs colonized by bacteria may cause infection or mortality. To prevent such infections, an effective strategy is to develop novel BDs with antibacterial abilities via various surface modification processes. Thus, plenty of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs)-modified films were brought forward to because of their potential applications in improving the antibacterial properties of BDs. This article reviews the difficulties in diagnosing and treating biomedical device-associated infections as well as the state of arts in fabricating the Ag NPs-modified films for antibacterial applications. In addition, the nanoeffect of silver particles and the cytotoxicity of Ag NPs are also discussed. It is clear that safe and durable Ag NPs-modified films are more desirable for the BDs prone to bacteria. To further extend the investigations on controlling the toxicity path of Ag NPs to both bacteria and mammalian cells, developing novel green fabrication processes with more 'cleaner' (without accompaniment of ligands or reduction agents) Ag NPs should be the first mission for the material scientists to complete.
© 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.