Laser and Aerosol Processes in the Synthesis of Calcium Phosphate Bioceramics
Renato P. Camata, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Physics
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL 35294
http://www.phy.uab.edu/~rcamata
Calcium and phosphate ions are ubiquitous in the chemistry of life. When combined under physiological conditions, these species produce insoluble calcium phosphate salts that constitute the inorganic phase of the structural framework of vertebrates, i.e., bones.
Synthetic calcium phosphates with chemical and crystal structures resembling the naturally occurring salts have great relevance in biology and medicine as they strongly interact with cellular processes. For this reason, calcium phosphates of non-biological origin have been widely used over the past 40 years to improve the quality of human life through numerous applications in bone repair and regeneration.
In this talk I will describe how we have developed laser-based physical vapor deposition methods capable of controlling the structure and chemistry of calcium phosphate materials. In thin film form these salts exhibit microstructural characteristics and properties that offer new opportunities in applications as coatings for prosthetic metallic implants and substrates for bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.