Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

Innovation in thin films for biotechnology reviewed at October seminar

Biomedical Surfaces 2006

10th October 2006,

The Moller Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge

Biomedical Surfaces 2006, a one-day seminar at Churchill College, Cambridge in October, will review the latest advances in surface engineering for biotechnology. The seminar, hosted by Tecvac, a member of the Wallwork Group, will cover thin films and hard coatings and soft coatings and their application in biotechnology. It will review PVD, DLC, and CVD hard coatings, soft coatings and plasma-based surface modification of polymers and other substrate materials frequently used in biotechnology applications. It will also include process management and regulatory issues that affect related production and services with the biotechnology sector.

The one-day programme, chaired by Allan Matthews, Professor of Surface Engineering at the University of Sheffield, includes a series of presentations reviewing recent advances from the different perspectives of research, biotechnology and therapeutic applications. The lead overview paper, ‘Applications of soft plasma deposited coatings for biomaterials’ will be given by Rob Short, Professor of Materials and Biomaterials Chemistry at the University of Sheffield Topics covered will include leading edge applications of coating and surface technologies that use vacuum-based PVD, CVD and plasma processes to enhance and modify metal, ceramics and polymer surfaces. These techniques enable many new and improved applications, extending from knee and hip replacement and other implants to drug packaging and delivery, and infection control.

Significant advances have been made recently in applying plasma processes to many types of polymer surface to provide high performance bio-coatings and to control lubricity, adhesion, permeability and other key characteristics. Specialist speakers will report on the latest developments in this area. As well as a detailed review of techniques, it is also planned to include quality control, compliance, traceability, meeting the process requirements of the clinicians, and related production issues.

There's now a huge range of thin films that can be applied to surfaces. These extend from DLC coatings, which are close to natural diamond in terms of hardness and resistance to wear, to soft sacrificial coatings of organic compounds, ceramics and polymer, engineered to interact well with human tissues, or to mimic structures such as bones.

Speakers will review the techniques, help delegates to consider material choices, and explore the special advantages of coating methods, together with the quality, compliance and control issues that affect products and services in the biotechnology sector. A visit to Tecvac’s biomedical coating and plasma surface modification design facility at Swavesey, near Cambridge will follow the seminar.

Contact Ewart Woolley at CMPR for more information on 01594 516079, or go to www.tecvac.com or www.biomedicalsurfaces.com for more details.