Electrospinning is a process that uses an electrical charge to turn polymers into extremely thin fibres that are ‘spun’ to form a mat of fine fibres … In this case, nanosized hair- like structures, a thousand times thinner than the width of a human hair, are electrospun at MNTC and added to the surface of an orthopaedic implant to create a ‘living interface’ between the artificial implants and living bone. Not only does this improve the performance of the implants it also significantly increases their durability to last the lifetime of the patient. (via ‘Intelligent’ Materials To Revolutionize Surgical Implants)
The Smarter Planet tumblelog is an outgrowth of IBM’s strategic initiative to help a world of smart systems emerge.
See this primer on Smarter Planet
