Chapter 1: Introduction to Biomaterials Engineering

The success of a material to be used as a biomaterial in medical devices, is related to biocompatibility, the ease of fabrication to form into complicated shapes and the sterilizability of the material used. This chapter provides an overview of biomaterials engineering, paying particular attention on the effect of processing methods on the mechanical properties of biomaterials. The effects of grain refinement in metals and ceramics, molding conditions on polymeric wear, and composite lamination are discussed. This is because the ability of a biomaterial to be formed into shape easily often determines its success as a medical device in the long run. When it comes to the manufacturability of a biomaterial, processing techniques will affect the final property of the biomaterial, which means affecting the durability of the device. On this note, engineers need to examine the various processing effects that stem from grain refinement of steel, surface modification to molding conditions and adoption of new manufacturing methods such as 3D printing technology. Future direction seems to lead us to nanolaminate composites, which give better properties such as fracture toughness and wear enhancement. The era of tissue engineering also paves the way for new biomaterial processes to be developed and invented. The integration of different modalities from cells, biomaterials to medical imaging has opened up new challenges in the healthcare industry.