| A chemical engineering professor has parlayed a $10,000 seed grant from the Sustainable Universities Initiative into a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study non-toxic methods of sterilizing biomaterials.
While on sabbatical this semester from the College of Engineering and Information Technology, Mike Matthews is working at the School of Medicine on a new technique using liquid carbon dioxide to process biomaterials.
"Biomedical devices such as artificial hip and knee joints have to be manufactured and delivered like a ball bearing or any other precision-made device," Matthews said. "The challenge comes in sterilizing the device adequately after manufacturing so that it doesn't cause infection, while avoiding antiseptic chemicals or processes that might damage the device."
Matthews is collaborating with orthopedic surgeons and with researchers at Clemson University and at the Medical University of South Carolina who are studying other aspects of these biomedical devices. Their overall goal is to improve methods of sterilizing such devices before they are implanted, develop new biomaterials that will last longer, and address concerns over lack of biocompatibility.
Matthews is focusing on liquid carbon dioxide to replace current sterilization methods that use ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide, steam, or irradiation. Unlike the first two substances, liquid CO2 is not toxic, and won't damage biomedical polymers, which are susceptible to damage from steam and irradiation. Liquid CO2 also is inexpensive and nonflammable.
"We expect a good deal of interest from the biomedical device community," Matthews said.
12/02
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