Surfaces of implantable and blood contactdevices accumulate adsorbed and denatured proteins. This anomalous layer of proteins may help trigger unwanted events such as activation of coagulation systems and, perhaps, chronic inflammation. Because, in many experimental systems, the purposeful coating of surfaces with albumin will biologically "passivate" materials, we have attempted to develop polymers which, when exposed to blood or body fluids, will spontaneously, selectively, and reversibly adsorb host albumin. We report here a novel derivatization technique for increasing the albumin affinity of implantable polyetherurethane (PU). The technique is based on the incorporation of high-molecular-weight dextran to which the albumin-binding dye Cibacron Blue is covalently attached. Somewhat surprisingly, the amounts of human albumin adsorbed by Blue Dextran-modified and unmodified PU are quite similar. There are, however, important differences. First, the binding of albumin to derivatized PU is specific and not readily blocked by proteins in albumin-depleted human serum. Second, the majority of albumin associated with derivatized PU appears to be reversibly bound. Third, the binding of albumin to derivatized PU evidently is mediated primarily t h r o u g h ligandspecific binding of the protein to the albumin-binding dextran-dye conjugate. We conclude that it is possible to produce implantable polymers having surfaces which display albumin-binding dyes that selectively and reversibly bind albumin. Materials with this property, when implanted or exposed to blood, should form an infinitely renewable coating of albumin derived from physiologic fluids. This surface modification strategy may spawn a new generation of implantable materials with improved biologic compatibility.