title: Laser direct writing of micro- and nano-scale medical devices.
abstract: Laser-based direct writing of materials has undergone significant development in recent years. The ability to modify a variety of materials at small length scales and using short production times provides laser direct writing with unique capabilities for fabrication of medical devices. In many laser-based rapid prototyping methods, microscale and submicroscale structuring of materials is controlled by computer-generated models. Various laser-based direct write methods, including selective laser sintering/melting, laser machining, matrix-assisted pulsed-laser evaporation direct write, stereolithography and two-photon polymerization, are described. Their use in fabrication of microstructured and nanostructured medical devices is discussed. Laser direct writing may be used for processing a wide variety of advanced medical devices, including patient-specific prostheses, drug delivery devices, biosensors, stents and tissue-engineering scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7115, Raleigh, NC 27695-7115, USA.
authors.forename: Shaun D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Gittard
authors.forename: Roger J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Narayan
mesh_terms: D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D007834:Lasers; D008904:Miniaturization / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D017785:Photons; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers