LASERS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE FRAUNHOFER INSTITUTE FOR LASER TECHNOLOGY ILT DQS certified by DIN EN ISO 9001 Reg.-No.: DE-69572-01 Fraunhofer-Institut für Lasertechnik ILT Director Prof. Dr. Reinhart Poprawe M.A. Steinbachstraße 15 52074 Aachen, Germany Phone +49 241 8906-0 Fax +49 241 8906-121 [email protected]www.ilt.fraunhofer.de Fraunhofer ILT - Short Profile With about 330 employees and more than 11,000 m² of usable floorspace the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT is worldwide one of the most important development and contract research institutes of its specific field. The activities cover a wide range of areas such as the development of new laser beam sources and components, precise laser based metrology, testing technology and industrial laser processes. This includes laser cutting, caving, drilling, welding and soldering as well as surface treatment, micro processing and rapid manufacturing. Furthermore, the Fraunhofer ILT is engaged in laser plant tech- nology, process control, modeling as well as in the entire system technology. We offer feasibility studies, process qualification and laser integration in customer specific manufacturing lines. The Fraunhofer ILT is part of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft with more than 80 research units, 18,000 employees and an annual research budget of over 1.6 billion euros. Subject to alterations in specifications and other technical information. 05/2011.
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Lasers in BiotechnoLogy and Medicine - Fraunhofer ILT · Laser in BiotechnoLogy and Medicine Laser processes offer high-precision and flexibility, making them versatile tools for
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Lasers in BiotechnoLogy and Medicine
F R A U N H O F E R I N S T I T U T E F O R L A S E R T E c H N O L O g y I LT
Short pulse lasers can be used to create micropores in the
millimeter and micrometer range for dosing systems and
miniaturized drug depots. Both soft and flexible materials
and brittle-hard materials can be processed nearly without
residues using this technique. In addition, structuring and
molding processes can be applied to produce components
for minimally invasive surgical and diagnostic solutions
based on fundamental biological principles such as the
sensory hairs of insects. Threadlike structures that extend
outwards can be produced with high aspect ratio by casting
laser-generated molds. Surfaces can be functionalized by
nano structuring - for example to tailor a material’s wettability.
Laser Techniques for Manufacturing Implants
As average life expectancy increases, so does the incidence
of age-related diseases, too. Advances in medical treatments
implicate that patients can enjoy a good quality of life for
longer. For example, vascular implants can be used to deal
with defective blood vessels in arteriosclerosis patients. This
requires sufficient quantities of replacement tissue and vascular
grafts. There is an increasing trend towards using personalized
implants made from artificial scaffolds which are seeded in
vitro with the patient’s autologous cells. Fraunhofer ILT is
contributing to improve this approach by developing laser
processes for manufacturing scaffold structures and artificial
vascular systems made from biocompatible and biodegradable
polymers for subsequent cell seeding. One of the goals is
to create optimum conditions for cell growth by producing
specific micrometer-sized pores in the scaffolds. These scaffolds
can then be developed into bioartificial vascular prostheses
in subsequent stages. When it comes to creating complex
structures in the micrometer range - e.g. for metabolic exchange
systems and cell guidance structures - Fraunhofer ILT employs
innovative methods such as high-resolution multiphoton
polymerization using femtosecond lasers in addition to
conventional laser structuring techniques. This broad range
of tools enables researchers to construct micro-scale structures
from proteins as well as synthetic polymers.
Surface Functionalization using Laser Radiation
The cells of our body require specific biological stimuli to form
tissues. With the aim of influencing and guiding cell growth
researchers at Fraunhofer ILT are investigating mechanical,
topographical and molecular cues in in vitro cell cultures which
can be implemented on synthetic surfaces through a series
of modifications. Micro and nano structures alter the substrates’
roughness and wetting properties, which, in turn, affect
cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. Applying this
Laser in BiotechnoLogy and MedicineLaser processes offer h igh-precis ion and f lex ib i l i ty , making them versat i le tools for smal l -scale product ion
of medical devices. High br i l l iance f iber lasers can be used to dr i l l or jo in polymer parts for catheters and
microf lu id ic components without degradat ion and under ster i le condit ions. Researchers at the Fraunhofer
Inst i tute for Laser Technology ILT develop laser techniques for the fabr icat ion of medical devices as wel l
as techniques for regenerat ive medic ine and therapeut ic appl icat ions.