by Biomimetic Materials
One area of research in medical engineered materials is biomimetics, which aims to mimic natural biological materials. Researchers are learning from materials found in nature to develop advanced synthetic equivalents. For example, mantis shrimp clubs are extremely tough due to a layered structure of crystalline minerals. Scientists are studying this structure to develop new ceramics for medical implants that are stronger and last longer in the human body.
Another example is spider silk, which is tough yet flexible. Efforts are underway to produce synthetic spider silk proteins that could be spun into fibers for sutures or tissue scaffolds. Compared to traditional sutures, spider silk sutures may reduce scarring. Researchers are also looking at nature’s strongest materials like spider webs, abalone shells, and crab exoskeletons for innovative engineering solutions. By copying designs found in biology, biomimetic materials have great potential to solve medical challenges.
Degradable Materials
For many Medical Engineered Materials applications, permanent or long-lasting materials are undesirable as they require future surgery for removal. Researchers are engineering new degradable materials that safely break down and are reabsorbed by the body over time. For example, degradable sutures slowly dissolve on their own, eliminating the need to cut and remove them post-surgery. Other applications include tissue scaffolds that assist wound healing and degrade once new tissue has regrown.
Controlled degradation is an active area of material science. Researchers are developing new polymers and composites that degrade at predictable, programmable rates through hydrolysis, enzymes, or other mechanisms. Material properties like strength can even be precisely tuned to match the healing process. For example, a suture or implant may need to retain strength for a few weeks before gradually dissolving away. Degradable materials allow devices to provide temporary support before harmlessly disappearing.
Composite Materials
Composite materials combine two or more constituent materials, often on a microscopic scale, to produce new substances with synergistic properties. For medical applications, composites can be engineered for tailored mechanical properties, degradation profiles, or functionalities.
For instance, hydroxyapatite ceramic is commonly added to polymers to strengthen implant materials and promote bone integration. The composite mimics natural bone composition while maintaining flexibility. Other composites include polymers reinforced with longer-lasting fibers like carbon or glass to prevent fractures. Composite coatings applied via plasma spraying or electrospinning impart antibacterial or drug eluting properties to surfaces.
Tissue Engineering Scaffolds
A burgeoning area is scaffolds for tissue engineering. These three-dimensional porous structures act as a temporary extracellular matrix to guide cell organization and tissue regeneration. Scaffold design parameters including composition, porosity, pore size, and mechanical properties heavily influence scaffold performance.
For example, collagen-chitosan scaffolds show promise for cartilage regeneration. Their porous architecture encourages new tissue ingrowth while sufficiently high compressive strength mimics cartilage mechanical function. For bone repair, calcium phosphate cements set in situ to fill defects as scaffolds that conduct osteogenesis. Adipose-derived stem cells combined with gelatin-hydroxyapatite scaffolds may aid periodontal regeneration. Scaffolds present a new paradigm for organically growing autologous replacement tissues in the lab.
Smart Materials and 4D Printing
Advances in smart or stimuli-responsive materials create opportunities for reconfigurable medical devices. For instance, hydrogels swollen with water undergo physical changes in response to temperature, pH, or other triggers. Researchers employ this property for drug delivery systems that selectively release payload in target environments.
Novel 4D printing techniques can create scaffolds or structures that change shape over time for regenerative therapies. A notable example is a 4D printed ear implant that morphs from a two-dimensional construct into a complex three-dimensional ear shape simply by being exposed to body heat. 4D printed scaffolds likewise contour to match healing anatomy. Smart materials and 4D printing herald transformative applications ranging from morphing stents and implants to biologically optimized tissue regeneration.
While great progress has been made, medical engineered materials remains a wide-open field with many challenges to overcome. Continued research is refining biomimetic designs and engineering compositional complexity at the nanoscale. Advanced manufacturing is enabling intricate, customized devices tailored for individual patients.
Regulatory pathways are evolving to assess safety and efficacy of degradable and bioactive materials. Combinatorial approaches integrating cells, scaffolds, and smart materials are targeted towards developing functional artificial tissues and organs. With the needs of an aging population increasing worldwide, the role of engineered materials in revolutionizing treatments and extending healthy lifespans has never been more important. The future promises a paradigm shift towards medicines developed via material innovation.
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1.Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2.We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
