Medical Innovations Using Carbon Fiber

To be in the carbon fiber industry is to be in a business that is constantly changing with the times. Whether making headway in aeronautics or continuing to innovate existing products with more attractive patterns, carbon fiber is evolving with each new advancement in technology. In the medical field, research is being done to use carbon fiber as an alternative to metal-based hip and knee joint replacements, but this is just the newest innovation for the medical use of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber has many attributes that benefit the medical field, including:

  • Carbon fiber is radiolucent, meaning X-rays pass through it. As an alternative to a metal medical table for CR and MRI imaging, which can block the imaging, a cantilever carbon fiber table provides less interference. 
  • It is biocompatible, meaning it is accepted by the body when used for implants even more readily than its metal counterparts.
  • Carbon fiber has the equivalent density and elasticity as natural bone.
  • Medical power tools made from carbon fiber have seals that do not leak and can hold up to hospital-grade sterilization processes.
  • Prosthetics need to be strong but light and durable, an ideal application for carbon fiber. 

Extensive research has been conducted that shows carbon fiber is a valuable addition to the medical world. The use of carbon fiber in screws and spinal cages has been in place for a while, but doctors are starting to use it for spinal discs as well. If there’s one drawback to using carbon fiber within the human body, its radiolucent quality might be a concern during X-rays, but this is being thwarted with the addition of materials such as tantalum wire so that the replacement part does show up on an X-ray. 

The reasons carbon fiber is an ideal product for the aviation, motorsport, and boating industries is echoed in its value to the medical field. If you consider its radiolucent and biocompatible properties, carbon fiber is set to become an integral part of the medical world, helping medical professionals around the globe provide a higher quality of life to millions of people. 

To learn more about the many applications for carbon fiber, visit Carbon Fiber Support or reach out to us today!

*Source: https://www.pcmi-mfg.com/blog/carbon-fiber-innovations-in-the-medical-industry