AAWSAP DIRD, Biomaterials, January 2010

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UNCLASSIFIED/ /FOA OFFI€1Ak Ulilii ONkY
the most hostile location both for sensor performance and in terms of the potential for
danger to the patient through the provocation of blood clotting.
The most successful biomembrane materials have been porous forms of Teflon,
polyurethanes, and cellulose-based materials such as cellulose acetate. As important as
the material composition is for sensors, so are aspects of a membrane's structure and
mechanical properties, such as its ability resist abrasion and adhere to sensor surfaces.
Biomaterials for Biomedicine
In this review, we look at representative biomaterials as well as representative
applications. These biomaterials are among the most popular of those used in medicine
today, and the applications in some cases represent multibillion-dollar-a-year markets.
Some of the best known of the biomaterials are:
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Silicone
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Teflon
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Biodegradable polymers
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Hydrogels
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Titanium alloys
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Ceramics
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Tissue constructs
Some of the largest applications are:
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Cardiovascular - stents, synthetic blood vessels, heart valves
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Hip and knee joints
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Contact lenses
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Drug delivery devices
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Kidney dialysis
BIOMEDICAL SILICONES- POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANES
Perhaps the most well known of all biomaterials are the silicones-soft, pliable, and
semitransparent materials that are used in many different applications in modern
society, ranging from water sealants to fibrous insulations.
Silicone is often mistakenly called "silicon." Although silicones contain silicon atoms,
they are an organic material of greater complexity and are not made up exclusively of
silicon. Silicone is used in an exceptionally large number of biomedical applications. It is
blood compatible, sterilizable, rugged, and strong but flexible. Its mechanical properties
UNCLASSIFIED/ /EOR OFFICilAk W&li 8HLY
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