Biochemical compatibility

Due to their good mechanical properties and biochemical compatibility, anodic Ti02 nanotube arrays start to receive great attention in biomedical applications, such as, apatite growth, cell interactions, and biosensing, etc. 

These desired applications determine the main requirements to be fiilfilled in the development of glass-ceramics for dental applications. The main objective is to produce a new biomaterial, the properties of which correspond to those of natural teeth. The most important properties are mechanical properties, biochemical compatibility with the oral environment, and a degree of translucency, shade, opalescence, and fluorescence similar to that of natural teeth. An abrasion resistance similar to that of natural teeth must also be achieved. The new biomaterial must demonstrate higher chemical durability than natural teeth, to prevent it from being susceptible to decay. 

Perfluorochemical oxygen earners are not soluble in water. Therefore, perfluori-nated chemicals cannot be administered in the pure form but have to be converted to an aqueous emulsion. A surfactant, selected for its effectiveness and biochemical compatibility, serves as an emulsifier. Osmolarity and oncotic pressures are adjusted by adding electrolytes and oncotic agents, such as hydroxyethyl starch. Nutrients, thrombolytic agents, therapeutic agents, and other additives may be included in the emulsion, depending on the particular clinical application of the emulsion. 

As a consequence of the high pressures that must be tolerated, LC sample valves are usually made from stainless steel. The exception to the use of stainless steel will arise in biochemical applications where the materials of construction may need to be bio-compatible. In such cases the valves may be made from titanium or some other appropriate bio-compatible material. 

When they are protonated, amines are compatible with water, a property critical in biochemical processes because it helps biological macromolecules dissolve in water. The N—H bond in an amine is fairly easy to break, so amines participate in the formation of several important classes of polymers, including nylon and proteins. 

Polymer-based microreactor systems [e.g., made of poly(dimethyl-siloxane) (PDMS)], with inner volumes in the nanoliter to microliter range (Hansen et al. 2006), are relatively inexpensive and easy to produce. Many solvents used for organic transformations are not compatible with the polymers that show limited mechanical stability and low thermal conductivity. Thus the application of these reactors is mostly restricted to aqueous chemistry at atmospheric pressure and temperatures for biochemical applications (Hansen et al. 2006 Wang et al. 2006 Duan et al. 2006). 

Frederick B, Lindsey KP, Nickerson LD, Ryan ET, Lukas SE (2007) An MR-compatible device for delivering smoked marijuana during functional imaging. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 87(1) 81-89... 

Engineering approaches for a chemical or biochemical process focus on the various ways to improve the economics of the overall system. This leads, among others, to formove an optimisation of reaction rates and yields. The question which arises now is to see if these objectives are compatible with or can improve the sustainability of the process. 

---