Biomaterials 1 – Biomedical engineering
Lecture 1 – A general introduction to biomaterials
Summary of reading assignments:
Section I: 1.1-1.3, 1.5, 1.6
Section II: 5.1
Biomaterials are materials. All biomaterials function in an aqueous environment, and that
environment can alter both the nature of the material and the interaction that occurs with the
material.
The basic structure of materials will drive their properties - both the mechanical properties
important for specific applications (strong, elastic, ductile, impermeable, etc) and the surface
properties that will mediate reactions with the external biological environment.
Entropy consideration would say that molecules and atoms should “fly apart” to increase
randomness However there is an energy term contributing to the stability of the example leading
to a negative Gibbs free energy.
The 4 attractive forces in this universe:
- gravitational
- weak nuclear
- strong nuclear
- electromagnetic
Atoms can combine in defined ratios to form molecules (usually they combine with covalent
bonds) or they can form cohesive assemblies of atoms
.
The difference between the dense, lubricious plastics used in orthopedics, the soft, elastic
materials of catheters, and the hard, strong metals of a hip joint is associated with how those
atoms and molecules are organised in materials.
A key concept is appreciating the properties of materials is hierarchical structures. The smallest
Lecture 1 – A general introduction to biomaterials
Summary of reading assignments:
Section I: 1.1-1.3, 1.5, 1.6
Section II: 5.1
Biomaterials are materials. All biomaterials function in an aqueous environment, and that
environment can alter both the nature of the material and the interaction that occurs with the
material.
The basic structure of materials will drive their properties - both the mechanical properties
important for specific applications (strong, elastic, ductile, impermeable, etc) and the surface
properties that will mediate reactions with the external biological environment.
Entropy consideration would say that molecules and atoms should “fly apart” to increase
randomness However there is an energy term contributing to the stability of the example leading
to a negative Gibbs free energy.
The 4 attractive forces in this universe:
- gravitational
- weak nuclear
- strong nuclear
- electromagnetic
Atoms can combine in defined ratios to form molecules (usually they combine with covalent
bonds) or they can form cohesive assemblies of atoms
.
The difference between the dense, lubricious plastics used in orthopedics, the soft, elastic
materials of catheters, and the hard, strong metals of a hip joint is associated with how those
atoms and molecules are organised in materials.
A key concept is appreciating the properties of materials is hierarchical structures. The smallest
