18787 - Biomaterials

Academic Year 2011/2012

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Cesena
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Biomedical Engineering (cod. 0946)

Learning outcomes

Knowledge of the physical, chemical, biological and engineering properties of biomaterials

Specific applications of Biomaterials

Course contents

  • Introduction and Definitions
  • Panorama of general applications of biomaterials
  • Elements of Design of Biomaterials
  • Definition of Biocompatibility  
  • The Frontier of Research: biomimetic materials and tissue engineering
  • Body reaction and response to material implantation
  • Introduction
  • Elements of  Biology
  • The tissue healing process
  • Tissue response to material implantation
  • Blood response, hemocompatibility
  • Structure and properties of materials
  • The solid state and chemical bonds in solids
  • The definition of phase
  • Basics of thermodynamics and phase stability
  • Principles of crystallography
  • Order-disorder transitions
  • Defects in solids
  • Structure-property relationships
  • Structural and analytical methodologies for the characterization of biomaterials
  • Mechanical properties
  • Hardness, friction, wear
  • Thermal, electrical and acoustic properties
  • X-ray absorption, density and porosity
  • Bone, enamel and dentine permeability
  • Optical properties
  • Metallic Biomaterials
  • Structure and properties of metals
  • Phase diagrams
  • Stainless steels, CoCr, Titanium alloys, gold and noble metal alloys, NiTi, and Shape Memory Alloys
  • Application of metals
  • Biocorrosion, Pourbaix diagrams
  • Production processes
  • Ceramic Biomaterials
  • Structure and properties of ceramics
  • Bioinert, biodegradable and bioactive ceramics
  • Application of ceramics
  • Carbon
  • Production processes
  • Biominerals
  • Biological tissues
  • Human hard tissues
  • Hydroxyapatites
  • Human soft tissues
  • Collagen and elastin
  • Tissue-derived biomaterials
  • Preparation procedures 
  • Synthetic polymers 
  • The polymerization processes 
  • Structure and texture of polymers
  • Glass transition
  • Thermoplastic and thermohardening polymers
  • Structure property relationships
  • Biocompatibility
  • Production processes
  • Composite biomaterials
  • Prostheses
  • Biocompatibility tests
  • Regulation and trading of biomaterials

Readings/Bibliography

RECOMANDED READING

C.Di Bello, Biomateriali, Pàtron Editore, Bologna

R.Pietrabissa, Biomateriali per protesi e organi artificiali, Pàtron Editore, Bologna

G.Valdrè, U.Valdrè, Misure e complementi di fisica, CLUEB, Bologna

A.F.von Recum, Handbook of Biomaterials Evaluation, Taylor & Francis, London

Assessment methods

Oral Examination

Teaching tools

Experiments

Links to further information

http://www.geomin.unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Valdrè