Laser applications in the biomaterials field

摘要

In 1960 a British orthopaedic surgeon from the Wrightington Hospital, Wigan, (near Manchester) published a paper in which the bases of the modern total hip arthoplasty were stablished[1]. The same year, at other part of the world in Malibu, California, a young physics researcher working for the Hughes Research, demonstrated the first light amplifier by stimulated emission of radiation in earth. Last year 2010, we had the honor and the privilege to commemorate the 50th anniversary of these two important events; the pioneering work of Sir John Charnley in the field of orthopaedics, which is recognized as a milestone in the development of biomaterials, and the construction of the first laser machine by Theodore H. Maiman. This paper will review the connections from these, apparently unrelated, two worlds: biomaterials and lasers. Biomaterials have evolved tremendously from these early days in which all was made by the vision and the endeavor of pioneers such as John Charnley and his colleagues. On the other hand, lasers have developed enormously. If once seen as a solution looking for problems, nowadays lasers are present in all fields of our life: from domestic appliances such as DVDs, CDs, or Blue-Ray players to telecommunications or car body welding.