Laser-material interactions improve biomedical device applications

Biomedical devices are extremely valuable for the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of medical conditions. These devices can sit on the surface of the skin or be implanted inside the body, and can monitor their environment, dispense medication, and interact with the body’s own systems to improve patient health. As the site of most interactions, the surface structure of these devices is of critical importance for maximizing the therapeutic potential and minimizing reactions with the immune system.

Um et al. discussed using laser processes to treat material surfaces for use in biomedical devices. They presented methods including patterning, texturing, coating, and etching that can alter surface properties in desirable ways.

“People in the biomaterials field think there are high barriers to using lasers,” said author Seung Hwan Ko. “We tried to lower the barrier by organizing the principles of the laser process in an easy-to-understand manner and showing examples that can be applied to various biomedical fields.”

Controlling surface features via laser patterning or texturing can prevent cell adhesion and reduce a potential immune response to biomedical implants. Laser-facilitated coatings can improve osseointegration strength, increasing the lifespan of dental and skeletal implants. Lasers can even be used in 3D-printing techniques to manufacture exact replicas of missing or damaged bone out of metal.

The authors hope their discussion of lasers will provide researchers with a new tool and lead to improved biomedical device applications.

“Researchers in the field of biomaterials and medical devices will be given an opportunity to solve problems that have not been solved before using a new process,” said Ko.

Source: “Recent advances in selective laser-material interaction for biomedical device applications,” by Seung-Hoon Um, Suk-Won Hwang, Costas Grigoropoulos, Hojeong Jeon, and Seung Hwan Ko, Applied Physics Reviews (2022). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0101634 .