Healthcare
Lightweight and strong medical equipment and rehabilitation systems
Industry
Modern healthcare pays great attention to diagnosis and treatment of diseases, optimal administration of medical aid to people.
Carbon fiber with its properties offers better opportunities of healthcare development and makes treatment and rehabilitation more comfortable and safer.
since living organisms do not reject them
Advantages of carbon composites
Reliability and safety are the main requirements to implants made of artificial materials. They must be non-carcinogenic, inert to living tissues and must feature proper mechanical strength and resistance to the internal environment of a human body.
Much research has been done on carbon fiber to prove its unique property of high biological compatibility with a human body. Thus, carbon composites can be used for implants and prostheses.
- Near to zero allergenic capacity
- High strength
- Static and dynamic fatigue strength
- High specific rigidity
- Low deformability
Advantages of carbon fiber composites in healthcare
Carbon fiber composites are stronger than ceramics
Carbon material is highly adsorptive
Carbon fiber inhibits germs and hastens recovery
Applications
Carbon fiber offers a great advantage to healthcare as a lightweight and strong material for rehabilitation devices and equipment: observation beds, wheelchairs, portable ramps, splints, prostheses, and many more.
Carbon composites are widely used to make various implants: from complete or partial substitution of body parts (spinal column, intervertebral disks, joints, bones, etc.) to limb prosthetics. Modern healthcare has been using such non-toxic, non-irritant, and non-allergenic implants wider and wider.
Historical background
Carbon fiber implants were first used by dentists. This is due to the fact that dental implants are relatively small and the body accommodates them within a shorter time.
They started using carbon implants for orthopedics, traumatic surgery, neurosurgery, and maxillofacial surgery at the end of the 20th century. High cost of carbon composites still prevents their wider spread in healthcare.
Experience
Paralympic champions wearing carbon fiber prostheses create world records in sprint and long distance running. Carbon fiber prostheses feature high durability, varied stiffness (for different surfaces, walking or running), and reliability under repetitive impact shocks.
Carbon fiber is used to make advanced lighter wheelchairs which perform better in vibration damping and shock absorption than metal counterparts.
Summary
Lightweight, strong, durable, and non-toxic carbon composites are highly prospective for healthcare.
Improvement of carbon fiber cost will promote its wider use in healthcare. Carbon materials offers better opportunities in treatment of various diseases, surgery, prosthetics, and recovery.