What Are Biomaterials?

Biomedical engineers are innovators who are driving the future of healthcare. The need for safer, more precise and more versatile medical technology is constant and biomedical engineers are on the forefront of fulfilling that need.¹

If you decide to major in biomedical engineering, you will explore biomaterials. What are biomaterials, exactly? These are materials designed to safely come into contact with living tissue. In some cases, biomaterials can replace living tissue. Continue reading to gain a deeper understanding of biomaterials, their role in biomedical engineering and how they are transforming healthcare solutions.

In this article:

• What Is a Biomaterial?
• Requirements for Biological Materials
• Examples of Biological Materials
• What Is Biomaterial in Biomedical Engineering
• Earn your Biomedical Engineering Degree at GCU

What Is a Biomaterial?

Before you can dive into how biomaterials are used in the field, it’s helpful to know the answer to the question, What is a biomaterial in biomedical engineering? A biomaterial is any natural or synthetic material, such as when natural tissue needs to be replaced or given extra support in order to function properly.²

Biomaterials have been used at least as far back as the ancient Egyptians when animal sinew was used to suture wounds closed.¹ Today, scientists can engineer a wide range of types of materials to be used in various medical products and devices. Heart valves and contact lenses are examples of biomaterials.²

Requirements for Biological Materials

A person’s immune system works by identifying foreign invaders and attacking them, such as viruses and bacteria. This is the reason why organ transplant recipients must, for the rest of their lives, take special medications to suppress the immune system response. However, the body does not automatically reject and attack all materials, which is why orthopedic surgeons can surgically implant medical-grade plates and screws, and why dentists can place intraoral stitches.

In order to be a viable biomaterial, the item in question must be biocompatible with the human body. A biomaterial with good biocompatibility is one that does not trigger a robust immune response, has resistance to protein accumulation, is non-toxic and does not encourage infection.

Examples of Biological Materials

What is a biomaterial’s “lifespan?” Biomaterials may be designed to interact with living tissue temporarily, such as sutures, or on a more long-term basis such as pacemakers. Some biomaterials are intended primarily for monitoring and evaluation purposes. For example, biosensors can identify and measure specific substances and transmit that information to a doctor. These include brain activity sensors and blood glucose monitors.

Other types of biomaterials include:

• Medical implants: Stents, grafts, heart valves, artificial joints and dental implants
• Drug-delivery systems: Implantable chemotherapy wafers and drug-coated stents
• Healing supports: Staples, dissolvable dressings, sutures and clips
• Regenerated biomaterials: Bone regenerating hydrogel and lab-grown human organs

Biomaterials can be natural or synthetic and can be made from all sorts of ingredients, including the following:

Metals

A wide range of metals are used as biological materials, including stainless steel, titanium and gold. Metal biomaterials can be used for various applications, including dental implants (e.g., titanium posts) and artificial joints.

Glass

Inorganic glass-based biomaterials, which may be made from silicates, rare earth and other materials, can be used in medical imaging technology. They can also be used in bone tissue engineering and for some dental work.

Ceramic

Ceramic biomaterials are characterized by hardness and wear resistance, which make them ideal for use in joint replacements and other types of implants, including bone implants. However, their brittleness must be taken into account when used in load-bearing applications.

Polymers

Compared to many other biomaterials, polymers (most often medical-grade plastics) are quite cost-effective and have good chemical stability. Polymer-based biomaterials are used in applications like wound dressings, vascular grafts and catheters.

Living Cells and Tissues

Some biomaterials may be used as vehicles to introduce regenerative materials into the body. These cell-laden biomaterials can be created in vitro and then implanted for the purpose of not only temporarily restoring function but also regenerating and healing living human tissue over time.

What Is Biomaterial in Biomedical Engineering?

In biomedical engineering, biological materials can hold enormous promise. Looking ahead to the future, biomedical engineers are continuing to research new, better biomaterials designed to give hope to patients. These scientists often find inspiration in surprising places, like brown algae.

Alginate can be derived from brown algae and in the future, it might be used as a lung sealant or patch.² Alginate lung patches could one day help heal lungs damaged by injury, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia or surgery.² Other emerging areas of biomedical research include:

• Diabetic ulcers: A combination of pH sensors, thermo-responsive drug carriers and an onboard controller comprise a new, smart dressing for chronic diabetic ulcers that resist traditional healing.
• Burn injuries: Current dressings for burn patients adhere to the wound surface, causing acute pain, delayed healing and tissue damage when removed. A new hydrogel dressing could automatically dissolve in a controllable manner.
• Colon repair: Many patients suffer from wound site leakage after colon resection surgery. Biomedical engineers are studying ways of using photothermal nanocomposites. When a laser is applied, the biomaterial will fuse together the separated tissues.

Earn Your Biomedical Engineering Degree at GCU

Does an innovative career in biomedical engineering excite you? Grand Canyon University is pleased to offer the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering degree through our College of Engineering and Technology.