04/05/2013
Plasma treatment could lead to better bone implants
Implants able to hold bones together during healing and dissolve when not needed anymore could reduce the numbers of surgeries required to repair complicated breaks.
Until now, scientists attempting to make dissolvable implants had to use a polymer mixed with glass particles for extra strength, creating a material called bioglass. But the heat required to make the plastic and glass particle mix creates toxic chemicals. To address this problem, I propose treating the glass particles with plasma in order to alter the chemistry of the particles' surfaces for better thermal stability. This will allow the material to be heat-treated like other plastics while remaining safe for use in the body.
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