Bio-Materials and Prototyping Applications in Medicine

Bio-Materials and Prototyping Applications in Medicine

Bio-materials and prototyping (both virtual and physical) are becoming more and more prevalent in medicine. These materials and technologies are used to design, develop, and manufacture medical devices and instruments, and to fabricate drug dosage forms. These processes are also increasingly being used by surgeons to plan complex operations, especially in the craniofacial and maxillofacial areas. Further, prototyping shows promise in the area of tissue engineering through the use of biomaterials including the direct manufacture of biologically active implants. Bio-Materials and Prototyping Applications in Medicine focuses on bio-materials and prototyping applications in medical environments. The applications that are discussed integrate bio-materials, CAD, and physical prototyping techniques.

Drawing upon the collective knowledge of renowned experts, Paulo Bártolo and Bopaya Bidanda have assembled a wide ranging treatise on biomaterials and prototyping applications in medicine that includes:

• Summary of state-of-the-art research in prototyping of bio-materials for medical applications;
• The issues involved with using solid freeform fabrication/rapid prototyping/layered manufacturing that is becoming very important in the biomaterials area;
• In-depth discussion on the emergence of computer aided design in the development of prosthetic devices.

Bio-Materials and Prototyping Applications in Medicine is a must have for researchers, professionals, engineers and academics seeking a comprehensive overview of this important subject and examples of medical applications using rapid prototyping, including tissue engineering, dental applications, and bone replacement.