Bioactive glasses are a class of synthetic inorganic material that have wide orthopedics, dentistry, tissue engineering and other biomedical applications. The origin of the bioactivity is closely related to the atomic structures of these novel glass materials, which otherwise lack long range order and defies any direct experimental measurements due to their amorphous nature. The structure of bioactive glasses is thus essential for the understanding of bioactive behaviors and eventually rational design of glass compositions. In this dissertation, molecular dynamics (MD) and reverse monte carlo (RMC) based computer simulations have been used to systematically study the atomic structure of three classes of new bioactive glasses: strontium doped 45S5 Bioglass®, ZnO-SrO containing bioactive glasses, and Cao-MgO-P2O5-SiO2 bioactive glasses. Properties such as ionic diffusion that are important to glass dissolution behaviors are also examined as a function of glass compositions. The accuracy of structure model generated by simulation was validated by comparing with various experimental measurements including X-ray/neutron diffraction, NMR and Raman spectroscopy. It is shown in this dissertation that atomistic computer simulations, when integrated with structural and property characterizations, is an effective tool in understanding the structural origin of bioactivity and other properties of amorphous bioactive materials that can lead to design of novel materials for biomedical applications.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are great candidates for composite materials. The reasons why CNCs are such attractive materials for them are due to their great mechanical properties, high aspect ratio and low density. On the other hand, hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a kind of calcium phosphate and a main component of bones and teeth. The purpose of the present study is to make oriented nano-sized composites with CNC and HAp. Although some researchers carried out to make CNC composites with HAp for biomedical materials, nano-sized and oriented ones haven’t been achieved yet. Also, films made of CNC and other compounds are known to be transparent and have good oxygen permeability. Especially when CNCs’ direction is in parallel, they show high strength. However most previous researches dealt with particles or plate-like minerals in inorganic/CNC films, so there is no case that coated CNCs themselves were aligned in the films. Therefore fabrication of composite-oriented thin films is quite unique and it will be a potential step for bone-like hierarchical structure. In experiment, certain amount of CNC suspension with functional groups were put into revised simulated body fluid (r-SBF) solutions which were adjusted between pH 6.9-7.9 to make the molar ratio of calcium ion per functional groups on CNC surfaces between 30-230. The suspensions were put into the ultrasonic bath for 15 minutes and stirred in the thermostatic oven at 37 ⁰C for 1 hour. The process of ultrasound and stirring in oven was repeated 1-3 times depending on conditions. Precipitated products were collected with the centrifuge instrument and dried with the freeze dryer. Functional groups induced HAp’s nucleation and the HAp/CNC composites could be obtained under control of molar ratio of calcium ions per functional groups on CNC and pH. Morphology of the composites could be determined by pH and HAp content could be controlled between 25-75 wt% by initial molar ratio. The suspension having the composites synthesized in pH 7.9 with low initial molar ratio was dropped on superhydrophilic glass substrates. At the moment, the substrates were set with leans of 20 degrees. Then they were dried at 60 oC for 3 hours and transparent films containing 25-40 wt% of HAp were obtained. The transmittances of the films were more than 90 % and their thicknesses were 2.2-4.2 μm. The films were suggested to have oriented structure by polarization microscope when the shape of the composites were needle-like homogeneously and independent each other. From the results from SEM, they were aligned longitudinally at both ends of the film and laterally at the upper middle part of the films. It is considered that controlling drying direction influenced on the orientation. The current study should become a promising step to build up a bone-like hierarchical structure artificially.

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M. Tech. (Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology. / Elemental titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb), zirconium (Zr), and iron (Fe) powders were used to fabricate four near-β alloys with non-toxic of composition Ti-34Nb-25Zr, Ti-34Nb-25Zr-0.4Fe, Ti-34Nb-25Zr-1.2Fe, and Ti-34Nb-25Zr-2Fe (wt. %) (TNZ and TNZF) using spark plasma sintering (SPS) of nano-crystalline powders attained by high energy ball milling. The fabricated alloys were compared to Ti-34Nb-25Zr (used as a benchmark alloy in this study) and comparison was made with the commercially used Ti base alloys produced either by conventional methods or powder metallurgy. The powder mixtures were milled for 5 hours using a Simoloyer high energy ball mill with a ball to powder ratio of 10:1 and a rotational speed of 1000 rpm. This was followed by sintering the mechanically alloyed powders at 1100 ºC for 10 minutes with a pressure of 50 MPa and a heating rate of 100 ºC/min using an H-HP D25 spark plasma sintering furnace (FCT System, Germany). The powders were characterised for particle size and crystal structure using SEM and XRD. The consolidated components were characterised with regards to density, microstructure, mechanical properties. The electrochemical behaviour of the alloys was investigated using a Digi Ivy DY2300 series potentiostat. Three corrosion medium, Sodium chloride (NaCl), phosphate buffered saline solution (PBS) and Dulbecco’s modified eagle’s medium that mimic the conditions in the human body were used. Mouse myoblast cell line (C2C12) was used to investigate the biocompatibility of the sintered alloys in 1010x5 mm specimens using standard colorimetric assay MTT. Both electrochemical and biocompatibility test were conducted in triplicates and the results compared with that of the benchmark. Results of mechanical alloying of powder mixtures demonstrated an inhomogeneous structure. Milling for 5 hours resulted in agglomeration of small Fe and Zr particles. Milling for 3 hours resulted in a better distribution of elements compared to longer milling times. Therefore, sintering powders milled for 3 hours would have yielded better results. The densification results were acceptable and ranged between 97-99% of theoretical densities. Although some porosity was observed, especially on the un-etched microstructure. An insignificant decrease in density was observed when 1.2 (wt. %) Fe was added. The sintered samples had microstructures which were not homogenous. However, the addition of Fe yielded a more homogeneous microstructure compared to the one with less Fe. Therefore, TNZF with 2 (wt. %) Fe had a more homogenous microstructure. Sintering at 1100 ºC resulted in undissolved niobium and titanium which were observed in the microstructure as dark and white areas. The hardness of the TNZF alloys were comparable and lied between 373 and 432 Hv. These hardness values are higher than other similar titanium-based alloys fabricated using conventional methods. The addition of Fe to TNZ showed an insignificant decrease in hardness. The addition of Fe was found to decrease the Young’s Modulus of TNZ from 119.1 to 80 GPa with an addition of 2 wt.% Fe. However, an unacceptable reduction (230.91 to 158.2 MPa) in strength was also noticed. Pseudo passivation was observed when the alloys were immersed in 0.9 % Sodium Chloride (NaCl) which could be attributed to the inhomogeneity in the microstructure. The possibility of pitting corrosion was also observed. The alloy containing 2 Fe (wt.%) was found to be more corrosion resistant than the other alloys. The TNZF alloys exhibited better corrosion resistance in 0. 9% NaCl compared to phosphate buffered solution (PBS) and DMEM. The corrosion behaviour in PBS and DMEM cannot clearly be explained from the graphs. The morphology of the corroded samples was almost the same for all the alloys in different corrosion media. The microstructures showed pits which could have been from the pores that acted as initiation sites for pitting. In cell culture for 1 and 7 days, the cell viability for TNZF alloys was greater than that of the control group (TNZ). A significant decrease in cell viability for TNZF was observed in cell culture for 4 days. The addition of Fe on TNZ do not cause toxic effects and show good cell adhesion, indicating in-vitro cytocompatibility. The greatest cell viability of 102±3.0 % for Ti-34Nb-25Zr-2Fe. The analysis of cell morphology indicated good cell-substrate interaction. The TNZF alloys developed in this study can be suitable candidates for orthopaedic implant application due to their low Young’s modulus, corrosion resistance and superior biocompatibility. However, the strength needs significant improvement. The advantage of this biomaterial, when compared to commercial alloys, is the absence of cytotoxicity elements such as Al and V.

Bioengineering is the application of engineering principles to address challenges in the fields of biology and medicine. Biomaterials play a major role in bioengineering. This work employs a three level approach to study the various interactions of biomaterials with proteins, cells and tissue in vitro. In the first study, we qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed the process of protein adsorption of two enzymes to two different surface chemistries, which are commonly used in the field. In the second study, we attempted to engineer a tissue construct to build a biocompatible interface between a titanium substrate and human skin. In the third study, an in-vitro model of the motoneuron-muscle part of the stretch reflex arc circuit was developed. Using a novel silicon based micro-cantilever device, muscle contraction dynamics were measured and we have shown the presence of a functional neuro-muscular junction (NMJ). These studies have potential applications in the rational design of biomaterials used for biosensors and other implantable devices, in the development of a functional prosthesis and as a high-throughput drug-screening platform to study various neuro-muscular disorders.

The textile industry’s linear model of production and reliance upon nonrenewable resources to manufacture synthetic fibers, dyes, and finishing agents make it one of the most polluting industries globally, responsible for 1.2 billion tons of CO₂ emissions per year, 20% of wastewater, and 35% of marine microplastic pollution. Similarly, medical textiles fabricated as wound dressing or replacement grafts utilize petroleum-derived polymers processed with harsh solvents, not only limiting their biocompatibility and scalability, but also creating environmental concern at industrial volumes. To mitigate these negative environmental and health impacts, new biofabrication strategies are required to design functional biomaterials that not only meet performance criteria for medical or non-medical application, but also support a sustainable circular economy. Inspired by the complex bottom-up assembly and regenerative potential of nature, the objective of this thesis is to harness biofabrication and in particular, microbial biosynthesis of nanofibril cellulose for the development of non-medical and medical textiles. Specifically, this thesis aims to improve our understanding of the microbial cellulose fabrication process and establish a controlled microbial cellulose modular engineering platform. By controlling biosynthesis and applying sustainability considerations to polymer processing strategies, we can regulate bacterial response and control resultant material properties for the engineered nanocellulose, targeting performance goals relevant for the textile industry. For medical applications, a controlled purification strategy will be explored for the development of a functional and biocompatible matrix. To this end, both biofabrication and post-processing strategies were assessed for the synthesis of microbial cellulose biotextiles that meet low toxicity and environmental impact criteria. The biofabrication of microbial cellulose with Gluconacetobacter xylinus was first evaluated by determining the effects of carbon source and concentration on bacterial response and emergent biomaterial properties. While glucose, fructose, sucrose, mannitol, and xylitol all supported microbial growth, differences observed in cellulose production rate, and mechanical properties revealed unique opportunities to regulate material properties through biosynthesis. Post-synthesis processing offers another level of control in achieving desired material properties. Both green chemistry and bioinspired processes were developed using plant-derived lecithin, green plasticizers (sorbitol and glycerol), and tannin-iron complexation to control elastic and viscoelastic properties of the microbial cellulose. It was demonstrated that these methods altered chemical crosslinking and stabilized mechanical properties, in which lecithin and tannin-iron complex imbued biomaterials with flame retardant and anti-bacterial properties, respectively. Life cycle analyses were performed to ensure transparency in considerations of climate and health impact of carbon source for biofabrication, crosslinkers and plasticizers for scaled up functionality. After developing and optimizing the purification protocol, the biocompatibility of microbial cellulose scaffolds was evaluated through in vitro culture with human monocyte-like cells (THP-1) and also with human ligament fibroblasts. It was observed that microbial cellulose did not stimulate a pro-inflammatory response from naïve macrophages, and the matrix supported fibroblast viability and growth over two weeks of culture. In comparison to biocompatible synthetic PLGA:PCL unaligned microfiber scaffolds, microbial cellulose stimulated comparable macrophage cytokine secretion, albeit the matrix maintained lower cell attachment. Collectively, this thesis has elucidated critical synthesis and biofabrication criteria that dictate the performance properties of microbial cellulose for: 1) regenerative, multi-functional biotextiles; and 2) biocompatible scaffold supporting in-vitro eukaryotic cell viability and basal-inflammatory response. These approaches are innovative as this work represents the first attempt to systematically understand how to leverage biofabrication to engineer multifunctional microbial cellulose with tailorable nano-, micro-, and macro- scale properties. Beyond biotextile development, this material platform and optimized green processing strategies demonstrate the potential of engineering regenerative materials for a circular material economy across various industries.

M. Tech. (Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Technology), Vaal University of Technology. / Solid titanium (Ti), Ti-6Al-4V (wt.%), and Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn (wt.%) materials were fabricated from powders using spark plasma sintering (SPS). The starting materials comprised of elemental powders of ASTM Grade 4 titanium (Ti), aluminium (Al), vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), zirconium (Zr), and tin (Sn). The powders were initially characterised and milled prior to sintering. The micronpowders were milled in an attempt to produce materials with nanostructured grains and as a result improved hardness and wear resistance. The produced solid Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn alloy was compared to solid titanium (Ti) and Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) on the basis of density, microstructure, hardness, corrosion, and biocompatibility. Relative densities above 99.0% were achieved for all three systems. CP-Ti and Ti64 had both 100% relative density, and Ti2448 showed a slightly lower density of 99.8%. Corrosion results showed that all three materials exhibited good corrosion resistance due to the formation of a protective passive film. In 0.9% NaCl Ti2448 had the highest current density (9.05 nA/cm2), implying that its corrosion resistance is relatively poor in comparison to Ti (6.41 nA/cm2) and Ti64 (5.43 nA/cm2), respectively. The same behavior was observed in Hank's solution. In cell culture medium, Ti2448 showed better corrosion resistance with the lowest current density of 2.96 nA/cm2 compared to 4.86 nA/cm2 and 5.62 nA/cm2 of Ti and Ti64 respectively. However, the current densities observed are quite low and insignificant that they lie within acceptable ranges for Ti2448 to be qualified as a biomaterial. Cell proliferation test was performed using murine osteoblastic cells, MC3T3-E1 at two cell densities; 400 and 4000 cells/mL for 7 days incubation. Pure titanium showed better cell attachment and proliferation under both conditions suggesting that the presence of other oxide layers influence cell proliferation. No significant difference in cell proliferation was observed between Ti64 and Ti2448.

The objective of this research is to introduce two state-of-the-art wireless biomedical systems: (1) a multiband transcutaneous communication system for implantable microelectronic devices (IMDs) and (2) a new wireless power delivery system, called the “EnerCage,” for experiments involving freely-behaving animals. The wireless multiband link for IMDs achieves power transmission via a pair of coils designed for maximum coupling efficiency. The data link is able to handle large communication bandwidth with minimum interference from the power-carrier thanks to its optimized geometry. Wireless data and power links have promising prospects for use in biomedical devices such as biosensors, neural recording, and neural stimulation devices. The EnerCage system includes a stationary unit with an array of coils for inductive power transmission and three-dimensional magnetic sensors for non-line-of-sight tracking of animal subjects. It aims to energize novel biological data-acquisition and stimulation instruments for long-term experiments, without interruption, on freely behaving small animal subjects in large experimental arenas. The EnerCage system has been tested in one-hour in vivo experiment for wireless power and data communication, and the results show the feasibility of this system. The contributions from this research work are summarized as follows: 1. Development of an inductive link model. 2. Development of an accurate PSC models, with parasitic effects for implantable devices. 3. Proposing the design procedure for the inductive link with optimal physical geometry to maximize the PTE. 4. Design of novel antenna and coil geometry for wireless multiband link: power carrier, forward data link, and back telemetry. 5. Development of a model of overlapping PSCs, which can create a homogenous magnetic in a large experimental area for wireless power transmission at a certain coupling distance. 6. Design and optimization for multi-coil link, which can provide optimal load matching for maximum PTE. 7. Design of the wireless power and data communication system for long-term animal experiments, without interruption, on freely behaving small animal subjects in any shape of experimental arenas.

Orientador: Heloisa Andréa Acciari / Coorientador: Eduardo Noberto Codaro / Banca: Rosinei Batista Ribeiro / Banca: Leide Lili Gonçalves da Silva Kostov / Resumo : Diferentes tiposde tratamentos com titânio têm sido propostos com a finalidade de promover o desempenho biológico dos implantes por tornar a superfície bioativa. Muitos metais quando expostos à atmosfera sofrem um processo deoxidação que conduz à formação de uma fina camada de óxidos sobre a sua superfície. Estes produtos da reação podem proteger o metal de posterior corrosão. O processo eletroquímico de anodização de metais permite a obtenção de uma camada de óxido relativamente fina e mais densa que aquela formada naturalmente na atmosfera. No caso do titânio, esta camada tem sido utilizada para favorecer a nucleação de apatitas e, por conseguinte, a osseo integração. Neste estudo foi investigada a influência da concentração do eletrólito e do tempo de anodização na morfologia e no comportamento eletroquímico de filmes anódicos formados sobre titânio comercialmente puro. Métodos eletroquímicos e de análise de superfície foram usados para caracterizar as superfícies modificadas de titânio. Verificou-se que, tanto a concentração doeletrólito como o tempo de anodização afetam o crescimento e as características protetoras dos filmes em um meio que simula o soro fisiológico. Nos perfis potencio dinâmicos, observou-se que os valores dos potenciais de rompimento de filme passivo são afetados pelo tempo de anodização. Variações nos espectros de impedância foram associadas com um aumento no número de defeitos destes filmes / Abstract: Different types of treatments have been proposed with titanium in order to promote the biological performance of implants for making bioactive surface. Many metals when exposed to the atmosphere undergo an oxidation process leading to the formation of a thin oxide layer on its surface. These reaction products can protect the metal from corrosion. The electrochemical process anodizing allows metals to obtain a relatively thin oxide layer and more to denser than formed naturally in the atmosphere. In the case of titanium, this layer has been used to promote nucleation of apatite, and therefore the osseointegração. In this study, it was investigated the influence of electrolyte concentration and the anodizing time on the morphology and electrochemical behavior of anodic films formed on commercially pure titanium. Electrochemical method sand surface analysis were used to characterize the surface modification of titanium. It was found that both the concentration of the electrolyte as anodizing time, affect the growth and protective characteristics of the films in a medium that simulates the physiological serum. In potentiodynamic profiles, it was observed that the values of the potential disruption of the passive film are affected by the time of anodizing. Variations in the impedance spectra were associated with an increase in the number of defects of the films / Mestre

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) resists excessive anterior translation and internal rotation of the tibia during athletic activities and stabilizes the knee. In the US, annually, over 200,000 cases of ACL disruption are reported. The impact on the quality of life of the subject and its cost to healthcare is tremendous. The objectives of this study were to determine any significant associations between the size of the tibial eminence and ACL injury and to develop a finite element model for structural analysis. The results suggest that the size of the tibial eminence plays a role in loading the ACL and is therefore a risk factor. In addition to the epidemiological analysis, a finite element model of the knee was developed that with added modifications can be used for complex knee loading situations. The results in this thesis may be used to develop strategies for ACL injury prevention and rehabilitation. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection