ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some applications of photonics in biomedical engineering, particularly with respect to biomaterials. At this stage 'nanomaterials' are not involved and the biomaterials are treated in bulk form. The term 'Biomaterials' is often applied to denote man-made materials used to construct prosthetic or other medical devices, e.g., pacemaker for implantation, e.g., stent in a human being. The performance of biomaterials in the body can be considered from several different conceptual perspectives: The problem area which has to be solved, the body can be considered at the levels of tissue or organ, biomaterials may be considered as metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites. The surface of a biomaterial is in direct contact with living tissues in the body and the initial response of the living tissue to the biomaterial depends on its surface properties. The chapter highlights some of the published results of laser surface modification of materials for biomedical applications, without going through the details.
