Abstract
Laser micromachining is becoming a common method for fabrication of microstructured medical devices. Developments in pulsed laser technology have made it possible to achieve precision machining of sub-micrometer features with minimal damage to the surrounding material. Several aspects of laser micromachining, including machining methods, types of lasers used in micromachining, and laser-material interaction, are discussed in this article. Biomedical applications of laser micromachining are also reviewed. The ablation behavior of silicon was examined as a function of laser energy, aperture, and repetition rate. In vitro studies showed that microscale grooves on silicon substrates may be used to orient human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells. We anticipate that the use of laser micromachining for modifying medical and dental devices will become more significant over the coming years.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
N.B. Dahotre and S.P. Harimkar, Laser Fabrication and Machining of Materials (New York: Springer, 2008), pp. 247–287.
X. Liu, D. Du, and G. Mourou, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 33(10) (1997), pp. 1706–1716.
U. Keller, Nature, 424(6950) (2003), pp. 831–838.
R.R. Gattass and E. Mazur, Nature Photonics, 2(4) (2008), pp. 219–225.
C.G.K. Malek, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 385(8) (2006), pp. 1362–1369.
A. Chimmalgi et al., Applied Physics Letters, 82(8) (2003), pp. 1146–1148.
A.P. Joglekar et al., Applied Physics B-Lasers and Optics, 77(1) (2003), pp. 25–30.
M.S. Amer et al., Applied Surface Science, 187(3–4) (2002), pp. 291–296.
M.S. Amer et al., Applied Surface Science, 242(1–2) (2005), pp. 162–167.
Y. Haga et al., Minimally Invasive Therapy & Allied Technologies, 15(4) (2006), pp. 218–225.
G. Ogura and R. Hack, Medical Device and & Diagnostic Industry (2006), www.resonetics.com/pdfs/MDDI_Micromachining.pdf.
A. Doralswamy, Ph.D. Thesis, University of North Carolina (2007).
A. Doralswamy et. al., Applied Surface Science, 252(13) (2006), pp. 4748–4753.
T. Patz et al., Materials Science and Engineering B, 123(3) (2005), pp. 242–247.
Medical Design, ed. P. Dvorak (New York: Penton Media, Inc., 2008), medicaldesign.com/contractmanufacturing/ideas_lasers_build_1008/.
Y.P. Kathuria, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 170 (2005), pp. 545–550.
M.C. Gower, Optics Express, 7(2) (2000), pp. 56–67.
S. Kaihara et al., Tissue Engineering, 6 (2000), pp. 105–117.
S. Mwenifumbo et al., Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine, 18 (2007), pp. 9–23.
A.Y. Fasai et al., Materials Science and Engineering C, 29 (2009), pp. 5–13.
R. Osellame et al., Applied Physics Letters, 90(23) (2007), p. 231118.
H. Klank, J.P. Kutter, and O. Geschke, Lab on a Chip, 2(4) (2002), pp. 242–246.
C.G.K. Malek, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 385(8) (2006), pp. 1351–1361.
M. Masuda et al., Applied Physics A-Materials Science & Processing, 76(5) (2003), pp. 857–860.
Y. Cheng, K. Sugioka, and K. Midorikawa, 29(17) (2004), pp. 2007–2009.
K. Sugioka, Y. Cheng, and K. Midorikawa, Applied Physics A-Materials Science & Processing, 81(1) (2005), pp. 1–10.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Miller, P.R., Aggarwal, R., Doraiswamy, A. et al. Laser micromachining for biomedical applications. JOM 61, 35–40 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-009-0130-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-009-0130-7