Biomedical Materials

Aim

This course will provide knowledge in the various materials used in medicine including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composite materials, and how these are used in different types of medical devices, such as prostheses, implants, stents, artificial heart valves, wound dressings, sutures, and scaffolds for tissue engineering. The relationship between material composition, structure, surface chemistry and function will be discussed as well as development of new materials and medical devices targeting specific application in for example tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The student should after this course:

• Be able to account for the most common types of biomaterials and their physical, chemical and biomedical properties.
• Be able to describe common methods for processing and fabrication of biomaterials and methods for characterization and evaluation of biomaterials from both a physical and a biomedical perspective.
• Be able to analyze the connection between material properties, host response and function of biomedical devices.
• Be able to account for the requirements of biomaterials that are used in or on the human body from a materials engineering perspective as well as a biomedical and clinical perspective.
• Be able to account for the design criteria and medical and clinical considerations in development new biomaterials and biomedical devices.
• Be able to account for some of the most central research topics in the field.
• Be able to reflect upon ethical, regulatory, and economical aspects, as well as sustainability and equality in development and industrial production of biomaterials and medical devices.

Content

The course covers the major classes of materials used in medicine, such as metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Structure, composition, mechanical properties, surface vs. bulk properties, stability and degradation mechanisms for the different materials will be reviewed as well as their biological response, focusing on protein adsorption, immune response, and coagulation. Important physical and biomedical analytical methods and techniques for characterization of material properties and biocompatibility will be discussed. In addition, examples of relevant real-world applications of biomaterials in medical devices will be studied from both a materials engineering perspective and a medical/clinical perspective. Examples from current research on development of new biomaterials and applications will be highlighted and discussed, including methods for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Translational aspects and regulatory, ethical, industrial and clinical considerations in development and production of medical devices will also be discussed.