Universitat Internacional de Catalunya - Barcelona

Biomaterials and Biocompatibility

• code 12475
• course 1
• term Semester 2
• type FB
• credits 6

Module: FUNDAMENTALS

Matter: MATERIALS I

Main language of instruction: Spanish

Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English

Head instructor

Dr. Emilio CASTRO - ecastro@uic.es

Office hours

Students can fix face-to-face meetings with the teacher writing an email.

Currently, biomaterials play a fundamental role in regenerative medicine. A biomaterial is any material that interacts with biological systems and whose purpose is to replace or restore some function of the human body. They can be bioinert, bioactive, permanent or reabsorbable. The design or selection of a biomaterial should be guided by deep knowledge of the mechanisms of interactions between materials and biophysical systems. These mechanisms involve physical, chemical and biological phenomena, which require multidisciplinary and teamwork. The theoretical part of the subject will focus on physical and biological aspects. We will be treated examples of biomaterials applied to research or industry through seminars (8 h), taught by specialists in each field. A practical work will serve the students to integrate the knowledge acquired throughout the subject into the resolution of real cases.

Subject: Materials.

Subject has to main objectives:

• Get a basic knowledge of the different types of biomaterials and their applications.
• Understand how to design a biomaterial to be biocompatible with the human body, through the interactions between materials and living tissues.

• CB2 - Students must know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and have the competences that are demonstrated through the creation and defence of arguments and the resolution of problems within their field of study.
• CB4 - Students can transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• CE6 - To incorporate the foundations of science and materials technology, while taking into account the relationship between microstructure, synthesis or process and the properties of materials.
• CE9 - To apply the basic foundations of elasticity and the resistance of materials to the behaviour of actual volumes.
• CG1 - To undertake projects in the field of Bioengineering that aim to achieve a concept and a design, as well as manufacture prosthetics and orthotics that are specific to a certain pathology or need.
• CG7 - To analyse and evaluate the social and environmental impact of technical solutions
• CT2 - The ability to link welfare with globalisation and sustainability; to acquire the ability to use skills, technology, the economy and sustainability in a balanced and compatible manner.
• CT7 - To be fluent in a third language, usually English, with a suitable verbal and written level that is in line with graduate requirements.

At the end of the subject, the student should be able to:

• Classify the different types of biomaterials.
• Know what a biomaterial is and how to characterize it.
• Know the main applications of the biomaterials related to bioengineering.
• Understand interactions between the materials and living tissues.

Students will carry out teamwork to work the concepts of biomaterials learned in the theoretical part of the subject.

2-hour seminars will be taught, with the focus on real and biological study cases. Students should summarize each one of the seminars. Exam can include questions about the seminaries.

Seminars will cover:

• Modification of the biomaterials surface.
• Cardiovascular stents.
• Design of biomaterials for 3D printing.
• Bio Entrepreneurs: Product development.

Student's grade will be:

First call

Final grade = 0.4 Final exam + 0.25 Partial exam + 0.3 Final teamwork and seminar's summary + 0.05 Class participation.

Second call

Final grade = 0.7 Second call exam + 0.3 Final teamwork and seminar's summary.

Important considerations:

1. Plagiarism, copying or any other action that may be considered cheating will be zero in that evaluation section. Besides, plagiarism during exams will mean the immediate failing of the whole subject.
2. In the second-sitting exams, the maximum grade students will be able to obtain is "Excellent" (grade with honors distinction will not be possible).
3. Changes of the calendar, exam dates or the evaluation system will not be accepted.
4. Exchange students (Erasmus and others) or repeaters will be subjected to the same conditions as the rest of the students.

[1] L. J. E. Buddy D. Ratner, Hoffman Allan S., Schoen Frederick J., “Biomaterials Science - An Introduction to Materials in Medicine”. 2004.

[2] C. B. Carter and M. G. Norton, “Ceramic materials: science and engineering”. Springer, 2007.

[3] A. B. Roger Narayan, Susmita Bose, “Biomaterials Science: Processing, Properties and Applications”. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.

[4] C. Mas-Moruno et al., “Bioactive ceramic and metallic surfaces for bone engineering,” in Biomaterials Surface Science, A. Taubert, J. F. Mano, and J. C. Rodríguez-Cabello, Eds. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH, 2013, pp. 1–37.

[5] F. Mahyudin and H. Hermawan, “Biomaterials and Medical Devices - A Perspective from an Emerging Country”, vol. 58. 2016.

[6] O. Martinez Cruz and Xavier Mora Iter, “Biomaterials: ciments ossis, ceràmiques i el seu ús en cirurgia protètica,” Agència Qual. i Avaluació Sanitàries Catalunya, 2017.

E: exam date | R: revision date | 1: first session | 2: second session:

• E1 20/05/2020 12:00h
• E2 25/06/2020 12:00h