Biocompatibility is explored and is related to the foreign body response. The importance of the interfacial properties of biomaterials is covered and includes factors affecting cellular response and protein adsorption. Polymers and ceramics used in medicine are reviewed with examples including the total hip joint replacement (TFJR), heart valves, catheters and vascular grafts and hydrogels used in ophthalomology. Drug delivery devices are reviewed and include degradation mechanisms and kinetics. Biomaterials with biological recognition and smart biomaterials will be studied. Tissue engineering and scaffold manufacture is covered and the use of stem cells for regenerative medicine reviewed. -- Course Website
Instructor: Assoc Professor John Forsythe