Cardiovascular implants, such as stents or heart valves, often lead to adverse reactions due to the interaction of blood and tissue with the foreign body. To avoid common events like thrombus formation or implant infections, research focusses on the regeneration of functional tissue around the biomaterial. Modifying the implants surface, representing the interface between biomaterial and biological system, is regarded as promising approach to stimulate the desired body response. Recent studies have already revealed the potential of various surface structures to control the adhesion and migration of different cell types as well as the activation of platelets.

In the presented work, Direct Laser Interference Patterning with an ultrashort pulsed laser was used to produce periodic line structures on CoCr substrates. A variation of the beam polarization thereby allowed the creation of a sub-pattern, orientated either parallel or perpendicular to the main structure. The obtained surface structures were then topographically characterized using confocal laser scanning microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy/focussed ion beam. In order to observe the chemical surface modification, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were carried out. These techniques revealed the formation of fine reaction layers containing mainly oxides, occurring from processing with ultrashort laser pulses. The biocompatibility of the functionalized surfaces was tested on different cell lines from the cardiovascular system. The diverse outcomes observed in cell proliferation, alignment and morphology render this study intriguing for potential applications in medical devices like stents or heart valves.