DLC thin films for implantable medical devices

There is an increasing need to identify suitable haemocompatible and biocompatible coatings, to improve the performance of biomedical implant materials, for many of the current medical implant devices. These efforts are directed at ensuring their long term performance without degradation in the human body. This chapter is based on one of the most promising coatings identified for this purpose to date, i.e. Diamond like Carbon (DLC). We review the major challenges and current progress made regarding the use of DLC coatings for implantable medical devices, covering cellular and blood interactions and interactions with specific cells in-vitro such as fibroblasts, osteoblasts, red and white blood cells, platelets and proteins. This chapter also covers the proposed applications of DLC coatings in prostheses for orthopaedic applications and in surgical devices for laparoscopy. We also consider the potential for using DLC coatings to replace polymers in drug eluting stents to overcome the challenge of the adhesion between the polymer and the metal stent.