Bioactive Borate Glasses - Bio-Glasses: An Introduction - page 93

instance, an effective device is identified as a candidate for a new product,
but the material is relatively expensive, and after processing yields only
10% of the starting material into saleable product. The question that
should now be asked is this: Does adding a multiple of 10 to the cost of
the product provide commercial success? If the clinical outcome is only
marginally better than that achieved using an existing product that costs
half as much as the proposed product, the likelihood of success is low.
Hopefully, this section has shed light on real-world issues with the
development of biomaterials beyond the bench top and has helped you
in evaluating methods of processing and where some hidden costs come
into play. If you are really interested in knowing what an orthopedic
surgeon thinks about the current bone augmentation products, and what
they might like to see in a new product, it is best to find such a surgeon
and ask. You can save a lot of development time and money by solving
real problems and avoiding trying to solve problems that you yourself
perceive to exist.
6.10 SUMMARY
This chapter has demonstrated several applications and was intended to
provide an introduction to bioactive borate glass technology. This area
of bioactive glass science is still in its infancy, so much of the science is
still being uncovered. With many exciting results, such as bone growth
and the successful healing of diabetic wounds, the future of bioactive
borate glasses looks bright. With that in mind, not every material is
ideal for every application, so understanding your material requirements
and the costs associated with scaling the research to support commercial
products is essential in picking a material for a proposed application.
REFERENCES
[1] Hench, L.L. (2006) The story of Bioglass. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in
Medicine , 17 , 967-978.
[2] Hench, L.L. and Paschall, H.A. (1973) Direct chemical bond of bioactive
glass-ceramic materials to bone and muscle. Journal of Biomedical Materials
Research , 4 , 25-42.
[3] Marion, N.W., Liang, W., Reilly, G. et al . (2005) Borate glass supports the in
vitro osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. Mechanics of
Advanced Materials and Structures , 12 ,1-8.
[4] Gorustovich, A.A., Steimetz, T., Nielsen, F.H. and Guglielmotti, M.B. (2008) A
histomorphometric study of alveolar bone modelling and remodelling in mice fed a
boron-deficient diet. Archives of Oral Biology , 53 , 677-682.