Biomedical Materials

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This course aims to introduce the students to the field of biomedical materials. Biobased materials have not been applied widely in a medical context, but there are example like poly(lactic acid) (PLA). The currently used biomedical materials include: metals (skeletal implants), ceramic materials (dental/orthopaedic), hydrogels (coatings, drug delivery), fibres (surgical patches, wound dressings), and high-grade polymers (tubings, catheters, etc.). The introduction of novel materials in biomedical applications has proven to be complicated and slow. The requirements for the materials and their synthesis are very strict to reduce the risk for the patient. Furthermore, the materials have to possess specific properties that ensure the biocompatibility of the material. This does not mean lack of toxicity, but also prolonged functionality over the intended period of use. The course also aims to teach the students the basic principles of effective communication between materials scientists and medical doctors. The translation of material development into a usable implant in the clinic is the ultimate goal of biomedical material development. With this course we will set a first step in that direction by teaching the required "biomedical" language for a (biobased) materials specialist Description of skills training during the course: The skills trainings in this course will be a combination of laboratory sessions and a case study. This case will be distributed at the start of the course. The research problem will be translated into a research question and possible experiments to be performed in the laboratory. The results of this case study will be presented at the end of the course in a small symposium.