Andre Sander

Master Student

Cytotoxic behavior of boron-doped diamond coatings for in-vivo sterilization

 

Betreuer: Dr. Rainer Detsch, PD Dr.-Ing. habil. Stefan M. Rosiwal, Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Aldo R. Boccaccini

One of the most frequent malfunctions of endoprosthesis are bacterial infections during or after implantation. Weight-bearing implants are usually made of a combination of metal and ceramic and typically replace knee, shoulder and hip joints. Bacterial attacks are caused by various reasons and can hardly be diagnosed after infection. The main objective of this research is to investigate the biocompatibility and the cytotoxic behavior of new implant materials such as TiAl6V4 coated with boron doped diamond. By implying a low electric current in an aqueous environment, the doped diamond coating generates cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals and ozone which leads to cellular death of the attached bacteria [1]. This procedure allows in-vivo sterilization without the need of a reimplantation. The research is carried out in cooperation with Dr. S. M. Rosiwal from the Chair for Metals at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg.

[1] Fujishima, A., Einaga, Y., Rao, T. N., Tryk, D. A., 2005. Diamond Electrochemistry. BKC, Elsevier, Tokyo.