Medical implant manufacturers producing current bare metal-based implantable devices such as artificial hips and dental implants will be thrilled to hear about a revolutionary Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) coating developed by Dr. Orlando Auciello and colleagues that is capable of growing directly on the implant, cutting out the chance for failure from synergistic mechanical/chemical or body fluid, induced degradation. Additionally, on a macro level, all of the healthcare community stand to benefit from the innovation, as it presents the opportunity to introduce a whole new generation of implantable medical devices, prostheses and artificial cells grown and differentiated on the UNCD’s surface. Moreover, new artificial biological treatments of degenerated human natural cells will be carved out to improve the quality of life for millions of people worldwide.
UNCD has also shown promise in the vision space, where hermetic films, best biocompatible or bioinert coating for artificial retina implantation were shown to help restore partial vision in individuals blinded by retinitis pigmentosa. This success has resulted in the Argus II device being implanted in hundreds of blind individuals throughout the U.S. and Europe, where it was able to restore partial vision. However, it is not currently fitted with the UNCD-coated chip due to lack of approval from the FDA.
Since the early 2000s, UNCD has also been leveraged for an integral role in mechanical pump seals/bearings and Atomic Force Microscope tips.
