© 2003 Robert A. Freitas Jr. All Rights Reserved.

Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume IIA: Biocompatibility, Landes Bioscience, Georgetown, TX, 2003

15.3.1 Biocompatibility of Diamond

The exteriors of many individual medical nanorobots or nanorobot aggregates comprising nanoorgans (Chapter 14) may be made of diamond, so the biocompatibility of diamond surfaces [36] and particles is of considerable interest in nanomedicine [20]. Our analysis of the biocompatibility of diamond starts with a review of protein adsorption (Section 15.3.1.1) and cellular responses (Section 15.3.1.2) to diamond surfaces, followed by a survey of diamond-coated prostheses already proposed, developed, or in clinical use (Section 15.3.1.3) and experimental data on the biocompatibility of diamond particles (Section 15.3.1.4), and finally concludes with a brief summary of the chemical inertness of diamond (Section 15.3.1.5). The overall conclusion is that diamond appears to be extremely – indeed outstandingly – biocompatible with living cells. The hypothesis that atomically-precise diamond surfaces might possibly be engineered to be highly resistant to protein adsorption (though even the comparatively rough diamond surfaces and particles available today are already very biocompatible and chemically inert) is suggested by the data but is not yet thoroughly substantiated – it could be validated by studies showing, for example, a clear trend of lower protein adsorption with lower diamond rugosity.

Last updated on 30 April 2004