Scientists Create Bioglass Nanofibers for Bone RegenerationScientists Create Bioglass Nanofibers for Bone Regeneration

January 4, 2010

1 Min Read
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Nano- and microfibers of glass produced using a fiber laser promote bone-tissue regeneration. (Image courtesy of Félix Quintero et al.)

A team of researchers from the University of Vigo (Spain), Rutgers University (Piscataway, NJ), and Imperial College London has developed a method for producing glass nanofibers known as "laser spinning." For the first time, the researchers have been able to manufacture bioglass nanofibers, the bioactive glass used in regenerating bone.The new technique involves using a high-energy laser that melts a small amount of precursor material. This creates a superfine filament that is lengthened and cooled by a powerful gas current. Laser spinning makes the material flexible and continuous, lending it a nanometric structure that helps in the proliferation and spread of bone cells."Laser spinning makes it possible to produce glass nanofibers of compositions that would be impossible to obtain using other methods," remarks Félix Quintero, coauthor of the study and a researcher at the University of Vigo. Highlighting the simplicity of the system, the scientist touts its high production rate and the ease with which the composition of the material can be controlled.The scientists present their findings in Advanced Functional Materials.

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