A biomimetic hierarchical scaffold: natural growth of nanotitanates on three-dimensional microporous Ti-based metals.

Nanophase materials are promising alternative implant materials in tissue engineering. Here we report for the first time the large-scale direct growth of nanostructured bioactive titanates on three-dimensional (3D) microporous Ti-based metal (NiTi and Ti) scaffolds via a facile low temperature hydrothermal treatment. The nanostructured titanates show characteristics of 1D nanobelts/nanowires on a nanoskeleton layer. Besides resembling cancelous bone structure on the micro/macroscale, the 1D nanostructured titanate on the exposed surface is similar to the lowest level of hierarchical organization of collagen and hydroxyapatite. The resulting surface displays superhydrophilicity and favors deposition of hydroxyapatite and accelerates cell attachment and proliferation. The remarkable simplicity of this process makes it widely accessible as an enabling technique for applications from engineering materials treatment including energy-absorption materials and pollution-treatment materials to biotechnology.

Nickel release behavior, cytocompatibility, and superelasticity of oxidized porous single-phase NiTi.

Porous NiTi shape memory alloys are one of the promising biomaterials for surgical implants because of their unique shape memory effects and porous structure with open pores. However, the complex surface morphology and larger area of porous NiTi compared to dense NiTi make it more vulnerable from the viewpoint of release of nickel, which can cause deleterious effects in the human body. It is also more difficult to modify the exposed surfaces of a porous structure using conventional surface modification technologies. In this work, oxidation in conjunction with postreaction heat treatment was used to modify the surfaces of porous single-phase NiTi prepared by capsule-free hot isostatic pressing to mitigate Ni leaching and enhance the surface properties. Differential scanning calorimetry thermal analysis, uniaxial compression tests, inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and cell cultures reveal that porous NiTi alloys oxidized at 450 degrees C for 1 h have an austenite transition temperature below 37 degrees C, excellent superelasticity, lower nickel release, and no cytotoxicity.

Surface characteristics, mechanical properties, and cytocompatibility of oxygen plasma-implanted porous nickel titanium shape memory alloy.

Good surface properties and biocompatibility are crucial to porous NiTi shape memory alloys (SMA) used in medical implants, as possible nickel release from porous NiTi may cause deleterious effects in the human body. In this work, oxygen plasma immersion ion implantation (O-PIII) was used to reduce the amount of nickel leached from porous NiTi alloys with a porosity of 42% prepared by capsule-free hot isostatic pressing. The mechanical properties, surface properties, and biocompatibility were studied by compression tests, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cell culturing. The O-PIII porous NiTi SMAs have good mechanical properties and excellent superelasticity, and the amount of nickel leached from the O-PIII porous NiTi is much less than that from the untreated samples. XPS results indicate that a nickel-depleted surface layer predominantly composed of TiO(2) is produced by O-PIII and acts as a barrier against out-diffusion of nickel. The cell culturing tests reveal that both the O-PIII and untreated porous NiTi alloys have good biocompatibility.

Corrosion resistance, surface mechanical properties, and cytocompatibility of plasma immersion ion implantation-treated nickel-titanium shape memory alloys.

Nickel-titanium shape memory alloys are promising materials in orthopedic applications because of their unique properties. However, for prolonged use in a human body, deterioration of the corrosion resistance of the materials becomes a critical issue because of the increasing possibility of deleterious ions released from the substrate to living tissues. We have investigated the use of nitrogen, acetylene, and oxygen plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) to improve the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of the materials. Our results reveal that the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties such as hardness and elastic modulus are significantly enhanced after surface treatment. The release of nickel is drastically reduced as compared with the untreated control. In addition, our in vitro tests show that the plasma-treated surfaces are well tolerated by osteoblasts. Among the three types of samples, the best biological effects are observed on the nitrogen PIII samples.

Investigation of nickel suppression and cytocompatibility of surface-treated nickel-titanium shape memory alloys by using plasma immersion ion implantation.

Nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloys are increasingly being used in orthopedic applications. However, there is a concern that Ni is harmful to the human body. We have recently investigated the use of nitrogen, or oxygen plasma immersion ion implantation to mitigate this deleterious effect. Our results reveal that the near-surface Ni concentration in all the treated samples is significantly suppressed. In addition, our in vitro tests show that the plasma-treated surfaces are cytologically compatible allowing the attachment and proliferation of osteoblasts. Among the two types of samples, the best biological effects are found on the samples with nitrogen implantation.

Measurement of parameters of tracks in CR-39 detector from replicas.

In determining the etched track rate in solid-state nuclear track detectors, track lengths should be determined accurately. A method based on surface profilometry is proposed to determine the track lengths in CR-39 detectors through measurements of their replicas. Tracks from alpha particles with an incident energy of 4 MeV have been chosen to demonstrate the method. After irradiation and chemical etching, resin replicas were made from the tracks, of which the heights were measured by the Form Talysurf PGI Profilometer. The results showed that the surface of the replicas were smooth and the heights of the replicas were uniform, so the replicating fluid should have filled the tracks completely and the replicas truly reflected the dimensions of the tracks. The heights of the replicas were conveniently determined from the lateral view of the replicas generated by the Form Talysurf PGI Profilometer.

Deposition fractions of 218Po in diffusion chambers.

After radon gas diffuses into a diffusion chamber, 218Po will be formed. Due to its short half-life, a fraction f of 218Po decays before deposition onto available inner surfaces of the chamber, and the deposition fraction (1-f) represents the part which decays after deposition. In the present work, f has been experimentally determined for six diffusion chambers with different materials and dimensions using the radial distribution of track density on the LR115 detectors inside the diffusion chambers. For all the six studied diffusion chambers, f was found to be approximately 0.4. Therefore, the deposition fraction does not depend on the shape and dimensions of the diffusion chambers, the surface to volume ratios or the internal surface materials of the diffusion chambers.

Sensitivity of LR115 detector in diffusion chamber to 222Rn in the presence of 220Rn.

Determination has been made of the sensitivity of LR115 type 2-track detectors (in units of m) to 222Rn, measured in the presence of 220Rn. Measurements have been made by means of a widely used diffusion chamber while Monte Carlo simulations have also been conducted. The experimentally derived sensitivities for 222Rn and 220Rn were found to be 0.470+/-0.022 and 0.486+/-0.042 m, respectively. For Monte Carlo simulations, the sensitivities to 222Rn gas were found to range from 0.618 x 10(-2) m (assuming that all 218Po progeny decay before deposition onto the internal walls of the diffusion chamber) to 0.405 x 10(-2) m (assuming that all 215Po progeny are deposited on the internal walls of the same containment vessel before decaying). The sensitivity to 220Rn gas of 0.465 x 10(-2) m found from Monte Carlo simulations agrees to within uncertainty with experimental findings. The experimentally derived sensitivity value for 222Rn indicates that 30% of the 218Po progeny decay before deposition onto the internal walls of the diffusion chamber.