From the perspective of material science, the introduction of plasma technology into medical equipment is expected to shorten the postoperative recovery period of patients and improve the quality of life and well-being of patients after surgery.

The center uses plasma technology to modify the surface of biomedical materials to endow biomedical materials with added osseointegration ability, antibacterial ability, hydrophilic/hydrophobicity or lubricity, etc. Safety and functional testing, in order to introduce research and development results into clinical applications, to increase the probability of successful surgery, improve medical quality, reduce patient burden and medical costs, and accelerate the development of Taiwan’s medical equipment industry in new medical materials.

High osseointegration titanium bone implants

Improving the osseointegration of artificial joints and artificial roots has become the focus of research on titanium implants. To this end, our center has developed a micro-arc processing technology to form a porous hydroxide apatite-titanium dioxide (HA-TiO 2 ) mixed-phase coating with high coating adhesion and high osteoblast compatibility on the surface of titanium metal . Animal experiments show that it can greatly improve the osseointegration ability of titanium bone implants . In addition, if “strontium” is further added into the plating layer , it can not only promote the growth of osteoblasts, but also effectively inhibit the differentiation of osteoclasts.

The center uses plasma technology to modify the surface of biomedical materials to endow biomedical materials with added osseointegration ability, antibacterial ability, hydrophilic/hydrophobicity or lubricity, etc. Safety and functional testing, in order to introduce research and development results into clinical applications, to increase the probability of successful surgery, improve medical quality, reduce patient burden and medical costs, and accelerate the development of Taiwan’s medical equipment industry in new medical materials.

High osseointegration titanium bone implants

Improving the osseointegration of artificial joints and artificial roots has become the focus of research on titanium implants. To this end, our center has developed a micro-arc processing technology to form a porous hydroxide apatite-titanium dioxide (HA-TiO 2 ) mixed-phase coating with high coating adhesion and high osteoblast compatibility on the surface of titanium metal . Animal experiments show that it can greatly improve the osseointegration ability of titanium bone implants . In addition, if “strontium” is further added into the plating layer , it can not only promote the growth of osteoblasts, but also effectively inhibit the differentiation of osteoclasts.

HA-TiO2 mixed phase coating grown on titanium metal by micro-arc treatment / Observation of tissue section after 12 weeks of implantation

Titanium-plated spinal cage

This technology is jointly developed by the center and Taiwan MicroPort Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.

inertness and hydrophobicity of the polyetheretherketone polymer, which is a spinal implant material , the center proposes to use high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering to coat the titanium metal coating on the surface of the laser -roughened polyetheretherketone to improve the Osseointegration of interbody cages. In addition, the titanium coating prepared by high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering has excellent adhesion, which can ensure long-term efficacy, safety, and maximum stability with the spine after implantation. Therefore, the technology will have the feasibility of replacing the commercially available titanium metal coating products prepared by plasma spraying .

Super-amphiphobic surface engineering

he center uses pulsed plasma polymerization technology and femtosecond laser textured double processing technology to develop the surface characteristics of nano/micro structure and low surface energy film coating on the surface of stainless steel , making it superhydrophobic and Super oleophobic effect, and has a high potential for medical equipment and life applications.

Active silver metal antibacterial finish

According to the results of long-term clinical experiments, bacterial infection is one of the reasons for the failure of implant materials implanted in the human body at this stage . However, for many years, the solution to postoperative bacterial infection is still limited to oral administration or the use of antibiotics, and there is no more active solution to enhance the antibacterial ability of the implant material itself . Seeing the unmet needs in clinical practice, our center proposes active antibacterial surface treatment technology, in order to avoid the chance of postoperative complications for patients:

• Ultra-thin silver metal film was prepared on titanium metal by high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering , with a view to the application of bone external fixator .
• Using micro-arc processing technology, adding silver-containing precursor to the electrolyte to grow porous silver-doped hydroxyapatite-titanium dioxide mixed phase coating on titanium metal, with a view to the application of artificial joints.
• growing plasma parylene film by triggering plasma polymerization technology , a hollow cathode discharge is introduced to do silver metal doping to grow silver-doped plasma parylene thin film, and it is expected to be used in invasive silicone medical catheter application.
  

  According to the JIS Z2801:2000 specification, after the titanium metal and the HiPIMS-Ag coating, after inoculation with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , the colony growth after washing and plate culture

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