Page 325 - Vibrational Spectroscopic Imaging for Biomedical Applications

CHAPTER 10

Vibrational Spectroscopic

Imaging of Microscopic

Stress Patterns in

Biomedical Materials

Giuseppe Pezzotti

Ceramic Physics Laboratory and Research Institute for
Nanoscience
Kyoto Institute of Technology
Kyoto, Japan
The Center for Advanced Medical Engineering and Informatics
Osaka University
Osaka, Japan

n the technological practice, the evaluation of the quality of
biomaterials comprises a number of standardized parametric
Icomponents that contribute to material structural reliability but are
only partially captured by measurements of chemical and structural
characteristics. Advances in Raman spectroscopy in recent years have
provided new insights into the micromechanical behavior of bioma-
terials, including the origin of improved fracture toughness in natural
and synthetic inorganic biomaterials and the visualization of residual
stress patterns stored on load bearing surfaces. The translation of these
notions into biomedical practice is an important priority for future
research and it may eventually lead to better prediction of fracture
risks and to an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which
pharmacological interventions affect strength in natural biomaterials.

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