Monday, 30 January 2017

Biomaterials and it's applications

 Biomaterials

- Bio material is a material used in a medical device that is non-viable and interacts with the biological systems . The bio materials field has seen steady growth over  fifty years of existence  and utilises ideas from medicine, biology, chemistry, materials science and engineering.

- For the most part , bio materials are used for medical applications. Not only that , bio materials are used  to grow cells in culture in order to assay for blood proteins in the clinical laboratory, in processing bio molecules in biotechnology and for investigational cell-silicon known as "Bio Chips ".

- What makes these application common among each other is that  the interaction between biological systems and synthetic or modified natural materials. Bio materials are seldom being used on their own but then , they are often integrated into many devices or implants.

Common bio material medical devices

Area of problem
Bio material applications
Assisting in healing
Sutures , Bone plates and screws
Improve function
Cardiac pacemaker , intraocular lens
Aid to diagnosis
Probes , Catheters
Replacement of diseased or damaged part
Artificial hip joint , Kidney dialysis machine


Requirements for a bio materials  

-  Bio compatible
- Non Toxic
- Non Viable
- Sterility
- Mechanical and Performance Requirement



Here are some examples of various types of biomaterials

Metallic Biomaterials

The 'Vanadium Steel' is the first metal alloy that was being produced specifically for human usage and to manufacture bone fracture plates and screws . Various metals such as iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), and tungsten (W) that were used to create alloys for manufacturing implants can only be tolerated by the body in small amounts. The bio-compatibility of the metallic implant is taken into consideration as these implants can corrode in an in vivo environment . The outcome of  the corrosion are that the implant material perse will be disintegrate, weakening the implant and the deleterious effect of corrosion products on the surrounding tissues and organs .

Ceramic Biomaterials

The essential properties of bio-materials are should be non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, bio-compatible and  bio functional for its lifetime in the host. Usually ceramics are hard . Ceramics are being used  in implant fabrications can be categorized  as non-absorbable which is unreactive, bioactive or surface reactive which is semi reactive  and biodegradable or reabsorbable which is not reactive. Alumina, zirconia, silicone nitrides, and carbons are some examples of unreactive bioceramics. Certain glass ceramics and dense hydroxyapatites are semi reactive and the calcium phosphates and calcium aluminates are reabsorbable ceramics. 


Polymeric Biomaterials

The synthetic polymeric bio materials are generally used in medical disposable supplies, prosthetic materials, polymeric drug delivery systems,tissue engineered products and orthodoses like those which consist of metal and ceramics substituents. The main advantages of the polymeric bio materials are able to manufacture to produce various types of  shapes such as latex and film effortlessly, secondary processability, reasonable amount of cost and having desired mechanical and physical properties. The essential properties of polymeric bio materials are same as other bio materials which are  bio-compatibility, sterilizability, it's mechanical and physical properties.

In conclusion , you should take into consideration that which biomaterials belong to which category as this will prevent from any negative concequences to our human body . The main priorities for the biomaterials are biocompactability , bioinert , bioactive or surface reactivity , biodegradable , reasonable cost and many more. The biomaterials classification is really essential in medical industries .

References



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