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Since their invention in the early 1960s, lasers have found many uses in the medical field. Most current medical applications of lasers involve use as a “universal scalpel” in minimally invasive surgeries, which offer little contact, little blood loss, shorter operating times, and less postoperative pain than conventional techniques. Laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) refractive corneal surgery, coagulation for retinal detachment, and skin treatments are only some of the current applications for lasers in medicine. In the future, lasers will also serve to create novel medical devices with unique biological functionalities. Microstructured and nanostructured biomaterials have recently been fabricated via pulsed laser deposition, laser direct writing, and two photon-polymerization processes.

Expert is the recipient of the 2005 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award. His work, which was done in coordination with the Naval Research Laboratory, has shown that laser direct writing can fabricate differentially adherent surfaces for cell attachment, three-dimensional neuronal cell networks, and other structures with unique biological properties. Matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation-direct write (MAPLE-DW) is a novel laser direct writing technique for micrometer-scale resolution transfer of small amounts of polymers, biological materials, and eukaryotic cells. This technique may also be used for selective ablation of material. Expert’s work has shown that his technology has the potential to allow the development of tailored artificial tissues that match the geometries of injured, damaged, or missing tissues.

In addition, Expert has received funding from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering for the development of novel nanoporous membranes. Unlike many metal or polymer surfaces, diamond-like carbon-coated surfaces do not adsorb fibrous proteins or cellular material. The term “diamond-like carbon (DLC)” often refers to amorphous carbon thin films containing some sp3 hybridized atoms. These materials exhibit atomic number densities greater than 3.19 g/cm^3, and often possess densities closer to that of diamond (3.51 g/cm^3) than that of graphite (2.26 g/cm^3). Diamond-like carbon exhibits cell compatibility, corrosion resistance, lubricity, and wear resistance, and can serve as a “hermetic seal” for metal, ceramic, or polymer biomaterials.

Expert has also developed diamond-like carbon-silver-platinum nanocomposite films, in which silver and platinum form nanoparticle arrays within the diamond-like carbon matrix. Films containing both silver and platinum demonstrate enhanced antimicrobial activity during in vitro studies, due to formation of a galvanic couple that accelerates the release of silver ions. His most recent studies have shown that three-dimensional medical devices may be created using two photon induced polymerization. This work, which is being done in collaboration with researchers at Laser Zentrum Hannover, has shown that this rapid prototyping process may be used to create microstructured medical devices with a larger range of sizes and shapes than conventional microfabrication techniques. The two photon polymerization process involves both temporal and spatial overlap of photons in order to induce chemical reactions between starter molecules and monomers within a transparent medium. Near simultaneous absorption of two photons creates a so-called virtual state for sever