We’ve seen nanoporous materials on our pages before: the proof is here. A new study from North Carolina State University has now shown that nanoporous ceramic membranes may be a feasible material for future implantable devices, as the material rejects protein buildup, a major issue with other substances.
Researchers have long sought to develop medical devices that could be implanted into patients for a variety of purposes, such as monitoring glucose levels in diabetic patients. However, existing materials present significant problems. For example, devices need to be made of a material that prevents the body’s proteins from building up on sensors and preventing them from working properly. And any implanted device also needs to avoid provoking an inflammatory response from the body that would result in the body’s walling off the device or rejecting it completely.
Now a new study finds that nanoporous ceramic membranes may be used to resolve these issues. Dr. Roger Narayan – an associate professor in the joint biomedical engineering department of NC State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – led the research and says the nanoporous membranes could be used to "create an interface between human tissues and medical devices that is free of protein buildup."
The new research, published in a special issue of Biomedical Materials, is the first in-depth study of the biological and physical properties of the membranes. The study suggests that the human body will not reject the nanoporous ceramic membrane. Narayan adds that this could be a major advance for the development of kidney dialysis membranes and other medical devices whose development has been stalled by poor compatibility with human tissues.
More from North Carolina State University: NC State finds new nanomaterial could be breakthrough for implantable medical devices …
Abstract in Biomedical Materials…
Image credit: Wellcome images…