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As
more research is developed in the biomedical field, an understanding of the
response of biological systems to foreign materials is becoming more important.
The biocompatibility of materials is determined by the material’s
ability to successfully fulfill the function it was designed for when placed in
a biological system. Metallic
materials have a great impact on the biomaterials field, especially in
therapeutic or orthopedic medical devices.
Metals and alloys, such as titanium and stainless steel, rely on the
presence of an oxide film to act as a barrier preventing further oxidation in
active environments, such as the human body.
It is also the oxide film that forms the interface between the
biomaterial and the body, with which cells and proteins interact.
Oxide films vary in properties, depending in part on the method by which
they are formed and the environment in which they are placed.
These and other factors dictate the properties of the film such as
thickness, roughness, composition, heterogeneity, electronic properties, and
wettability, all of which play a role in cell interaction. This research attempts to understand the effect of surface properties of biomaterials
on their biocompatibility. Students also chemically modify the surfaces of
implant materials to improve osteoblast adhesion and differentiation. For
example, the students have studied a novel technology for formation and grow of
bone-like apatite coatings on implants and then tested osteoblast cell activity
on fabricated implant-apatite composites. |
