Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Nanomechanics Of Electrospun Nanofibres For Tissue Engineering Of The Tympanic Membrane, Sara Makaremi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Tympanic Membrane (TM), also known as the eardrum, includes layers of organized collagen nanofibres which play an essential role in sound transmission. Perforations that are caused by infection or accident must be repaired in order to restore hearing. Tympanoplasty is performed using grafts that are prepared from bladder, cartilage, temporal fascia and cadaveric skin. However, since mechanical properties of these grafts do not match those of the original TM, normal hearing is not fully restored. The goal of this study is to develop nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering of the TM in order to circumvent the complications addressed with …

Calcium Phosphate-Based Resorbable Biomaterials For Bone Regeneration, Daniel O. Costa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Bone defects are a prevalent problem in orthopedics and dentistry. Calcium phosphate-based coatings and nanocomposites offer unique solutions towards producing scaffolds with suitable physical, mechanical and biological properties for bone regeneration.

We developed a novel method to synthesize hydroxyapatite (HA) particles with high aspect ratio using sol-gel chemistry and hydrothermal treatment. We obtained tunable pure-phase carbonated-HA in the form of micro/nanorods and nanowires (diameters 25-800 nm). To mimic the structure of bone, HA nanowires were homogenously mixed within poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) to produce nanocomposites with improved mechanical properties as determined by uniaxial tensile testing.

Surface chemistry and topography of biomaterials play …

Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Nanocomposite Hydrogels For Intervertebral Disc Prostheses, Elaine Wong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Spinal fusion is currently the gold standard for surgical intervention of intervertebral disc (IVD) diseases leading to neck and back pain failing conservative treatments. However, fusion removes motion between the vertebrae and can result in adjacent level degeneration. Total disc replacement (TDR) is an emerging treatment alternative that preserves motion, but materials found in clinically available devices bear little resemblance to the properties of the native IVD. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels are biocompatible, have mechanical behaviour similar to natural tissues, and properties that can be tuned by varying polymer concentration and physical crosslinking through freeze-thaw cycling. Furthermore, their properties can …

Encapsulation And Controlled Release Of Rhu-Erythropoietin From Chitosan Biopolymer Nanoparticles, Cody Bulmer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The objective of this research project was to develop a drug delivery system for recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu-EPO), a glycoprotein hormone used in the treatment of renal anaemia and chemotherapy induced anaemia, using the biopolymer chitosan as the base component. Two types of chitosan nanoparticles were produced through ionotropic gelation using flush mixing with either tripolyphosphate (TPP) or carrageenan polymer. Chitosan-TPP and chitosan-carrageenan nanoparticles were generated under a variety of conditions to evaluate the effects of chitosan concentration, chitosan to anion mass ratio and solution pH on the nanoparticle characteristics of particle diameter, surface charge and particle size distribution. A …

Bacterial Cellulose Templates For Nano-Hydroxyapatite Fibre Synthesis, Jordan A. Demello

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Guided bone regeneration is a medical procedure which induces in vivo re-growth of bone using membranes and osteopromoting fillers. In this work, bacterial cellulose fibers were isolated and used as a basis for biomimetic hydroxyapatite growth, with the ultimate goal of producing GBR filler materials. Acetobacter xylinum generated BC using various carbon sources. Fibers were treated with phosphoric acid to phosphorylate functional groups and preconditioned with calcium to nucleate the HA. Simulated body fluid (SBF) furthered the growth. Over 14 days, the product was characterized via EDX, SEM, FTIR, and XRD. The effect of media composition, phosphorylation time, pretreatment, and …