Medical Technology

Biomaterials
 Metals
o Many common metals and metal alloys have been used to make artificial limbs
and devices to aid bone-setting
o Three important alloys used in biomaterials today are titanium alloys, iron alloys
and cobalt alloys.
 Titanium is used for replacement hip joints, one screws, knee joints, bone
plates and dental implants. Titanium is biocompatible and is relatively
unreactive. It is strong and easy to mould or shape. Unfortunately titanium
wears out easily.
 Stainless steel is an iron alloy containing chromium, molybdenum and
nickel. It is strong, easily worked and cheap to manufacture, but has a
tendency to corrode
 Cobalt alloys are more expensive than stainless steel, but more resistant to
corrosion. Cobalt-chromium alloys are often used as part of a hip
replacement
 Ceramics
o Ceramics are also important biomaterials because they are strong, non-flexible,
resist corrosion and have low density.
o They are used in dentistry as crowns for teeth and to make false teeth.
o They are also used for joint and bone segment replacement and temporary bone
repair devices.
o As they are biocompatible, ceramics may be used as coatings for implants made
of other materials.
o Some types of glass and ceramics will form a strong chemical bond with living
bone. These materials are bioactive
 Plastics
o Amazing advances in bionic medicine have occurred following the discovery of
how to make synthetic polymers
o Polyethylene is one of the most useful plastics
 UHMWPE is used in making replacements joints such as hips and knees.
 Resistant to abrasion and cutting, and is also impact and corrosion
resistant
 It is self-lubricating and slippery
o Silicones can exist only as oily liquids or as rubber-like substances.
 A common use of silicone is in breast implants
The heart
 The human heart is divided into four chambers.
o Right atrium
o Right Ventricle
o Left Atrium
o Left Ventricle
 The heart has valves between the atria and ventricles
o These are the atrioventricular valves
o They prevent blood flowing backwards.

 Unblocking arteries
o Angioplasty, a procedure where a balloon-tipped catheter is inserted through the
skin into a blood vessel and manoeuvred to the clogged artery where the balloon
is inflated. This compresses the plaque. A stent may be placed against the plaque
to help keep the vessel open.
o Coronary artery bypass grafting is a surgical procedure used to bypass the
coronary arteries if they are blocked, and so provide adequate blood flow to the
heart. Doctors usually use a blood vessel taken from somewhere else in the
patient, such as the leg.
The Skeleton
 Joints for movement
o Ball-and-socket: A joint that is freely moveable in several directions, for example
the hip and shoulder
o Hinge: Allows free movement in one plane, like a door hinge, for example
elbows, knees and fingers.
o Gliding/sliding: a joint in which the bony surfaces slide over each other, for
example the wrist and ankle
o Pivot: allows a large degree of rotation or twisting - for example, the neck
 The components of joints include:
o Cartilage: covers the surface of bones at joints, for protection, lubrication and
shock absorption
o Synovial fluid: a thick, lubricating fluid surrounding a joint that aids in shock
absorption
o Tendons: attach muscles to bones. They are composed of collagen fibres, and are
flexible but not elastic
o Ligaments: tough bands of connective tissue connecting two bones at a joint.
 Artificial Joints
o Hip and knee replacements are the most common joint replacement procedures.
o Materials used in replacement joints include:
 Silicone
 Stainless Steel and alloys of cobalt, chromium and titanium
 Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE)
 Plastic bone cement (Polymethacrylate)
o UHMWPE and silicone may be used to replace cartilage.

Tools For diagnosis

 Non-invasive
o Radiography
o Tomography
o CAT scanning
o Angiogram
o Ultrasound
o Thermography
o Magnetic Resonance Imaging
 Minimally invasive
o Keyhole Surgery
o Laser Eye surgery