Recent advances in selective laser-material interaction for biomedical device applications

Abstract

Lasers that exhibit monochromaticity, directionality, coherence, and focusability have been used in health care and defense industries for over five decades. Recently, the application of lasers in medical and biomedical devices has increased significantly. Considering biomedical devices and materials are attached to the skin or implanted into the body, the immune response, inflammation control, cell adhesion, migration, and biocompatibility of the device must be investigated. Therefore, researchers are actively studying laser processing technology to control these problems. In this study, we present the different types of selective laser-material interaction techniques used in biomedical devices and materials and their characteristics. Additionally, we demonstrate how to determine the type and related processes associated with biomedical devices based on the desired treatment by depicting examples, principles, and process conditions applied to the device.