Bioceramics and glasses for ocular applications
Bioceramics and glasses for ocular applications
Description
Biocompatible ceramics and glasses are usually proposed as implantable materials for the repair of hard tissues (bone and teeth). A less popular but highly promising field of application of these biomaterials is ophthalmic surgery, where mainly hydroxyapatite and alumina are routinely used to fabricate commercial orbital implants (porous spheres) that replace the lost eyeball volume in enucleated patients. However, there are still some drawbacks to these implants, such as unacceptable surface roughness causing conjunctival abrasion in the long-term, insufficient porosity precluding fibrovascular tissue ingrowth, and high cost. In this context, we are developing porous glasses and glass-ceramics based on new, suitable compositions as less-expensive, superior alternatives to existing implants (e.g. provided with more controllable porosity, higher pore interconnectivity, lower surface roughness). Another patented application concerns the deposition of an antimicrobial Ag nanocluster/silica composite layer on the surface of ocular prostheses in order to avoid ophthalmic infections due to bacterial contamination.
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Recent reference(s)
F. Baino et al., Acta Biomater 10 (2014) 1064-1087
F. Baino, J Biomed Mater Res A 103 (2015) 1259-1275
F. Baino et al., Mater Sci Eng C 60 (2016) 467-474
F. Baino et al., Mater Sci Eng C 69 (2016) 1410-1428
F. Baino et al., Int J Appl Ceramic Technol 15 (2018) 884-891
Funding