MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF Cr-DLC LAYERS PREPARED BY HYBRID LASER TECHNOLOGY

Diamond like carbon (DLC) layers have excellent biological properties for use in medicine for coating implants, but poor adhesion to biomedical alloys. The adhesion can be improved by doping the DLC layer by chromium, as described in this article. Chromium doped diamond like carbon layers (Cr‑DLC) were deposited by hybrid deposition system using KrF excimer laser and magnetron sputtering. Carbon and chromium contents were determined by wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Mechanical properties were studied by nanoindentation. Hardness and reduced Young's modulus reached 31.2 GPa and 271.5 GPa, respectively. Films adhesion was determined by scratch test and reached 19 N for titanium substrates. Good adhesion to biomedical alloys and high DLC hardness will help to progress in the field of implantology

ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE AND AG-INCORPORATED DLC THIN FILMS

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and Ag-incorporated diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were prepared on different substrates. The films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). TiO2 and Ag were selected due to their potential values as biomaterials. Silver is effective against a wide range of spectrum including Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and yeast. TiO2 and Ag-incorporated DLC thin films are suitable candidates for application on biomedical devices and implants due to their biocompatibility, chemical inertness, and mechanical properties. Thin films are widely used in coronary artery stents, dental implants, heart valves and other vascular devices. The microstructure and antibacterial properties of TiO2 and silver-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been investigated. The films structural quality was evaluated using SEM microscopy, AFM microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The antibacterial activity was determined using Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis. Our results demonstrate that the TiO2, nitrogen doped titanium oxides TON and Ag-incorporated DLC films are potentially useful as biomedical materials having good antibacterial properties

DLC/TI THIN FILMS PROPERTIES PREPARED BY HYBRID LASER TECHNOLOGIES

Layers of diamond-like carbon are usable in many fields of industry as well as in medicine. Many scientific groups have worked with different types of deposition techniques to prepare DLC layers with improved or unique properties. The DLC properties could be improved by various dopations. In this study, we focused on DLC layers doped by titanium, prepared by hybrid laser depositions. Two techniques were used: Dual pulse laser deposition (DualPLD) and pulse laser deposition in combination with magnetron sputtering (PLD/MS). Preliminary tests for morphology, wettability, adhesion, hardness, corrosion, friction and wearability were examined

FRAM telescopes and their measurements of aerosol content at the Pierre Auger Observatory and at future sites of the Cherenkov Telescope Array

A FRAM (F/(Ph)otometric Robotic Atmospheric Monitor) telescope is a system of a robotic mount, a large-format CCD camera and a fast telephoto lens that can be used for atmospheric monitoring at any site when information about the atmospheric transparency is required with high spatial or temporal resolution and where continuous use of laser-based methods for this purpose would interfere with other observations. The original FRAM has been operated at the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina for more than a decade, while three more FRAMs are foreseen to be used by the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The CTA FRAMs are being deployed ahead of time to characterize the properties of the sites prior to the operation of the CTA telescopes; one FRAM has been running on the planned future CTA site in Chile for a year while two others are expected to become operational before the end of 2018. We report on the hardware and current status of operation and/or deployment of all the FRAM instruments in question as well as on some of the preliminary results of integral aerosol measurements by the FRAMs in Argentina and ChileComment: Proceedings of AtmoHEAD 201

Thin-Layer Hydroxyapatite Deposition on a Nanofiber Surface Stimulates Mesenchymal Stem Cell Proliferation and Their Differentiation into Osteoblasts

Pulsed laser deposition was proved as a suitable method for hydroxyapatite (HA) coating of coaxial poly-ɛ-caprolactone/polyvinylalcohol (PCL/PVA) nanofibers. The fibrous morphology of PCL/PVA nanofibers was preserved, if the nanofiber scaffold was coated with thin layers of HA (200 nm and 400 nm). Increasing thickness of HA, however, resulted in a gradual loss of fibrous character. In addition, biomechanical properties were improved after HA deposition on PCL/PVA nanofibers as the value of Young's moduli of elasticity significantly increased. Clearly, thin-layer hydroxyapatite deposition on a nanofiber surface stimulated mesenchymal stem cell viability and their differentiation into osteoblasts. The optimal depth of HA was 800 nm

Hybrid Laser Technology for Composite Coating and Medical Applications

Nano-composite layers were synthesised by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) combined with magnetron sputtering, ion gun modification and RF discharges, and by dual pulsed laser ablation using simultaneously two KrF excimer lasers and two targets. Diamond-like carbon (DLC), Cr-containing diamond-like carbon (Cr-DLC), silver-doped hydroxyapatite (Ag-HA) and silver doped 316L steel and Ti6Al4V were prepared by hybrid laser technologies for potential coating of medical implants. Growing DLC films were modified during the laser deposition (10 J cm–2) by ion bombardment. Energy of argon ions was in the range between 50 eV and 210 eV. Content of sp2 "graphitic" and sp 3 "diamond" bonds, doping, structure, mechanical and biocompatible properties were tested. Deposition arrangements and experiences are presente

New developments in aerosol measurements using stellar photometry

The idea of using stellar photometry for atmospheric monitoring for optical experiments in highenergy astrophysics is seemingly straightforward, but reaching high precision of the order of 0.01 in the determination of the vertical aerosol optical depth (VAOD) has proven difficult. Wide-field photometry over a large span of altitudes allows a fast determination of VAOD independently of the absolute calibration of the system, while providing this calibration as a useful by-product. Using several years of data taken by the FRAM (F/(Ph)otometric Robotic Atmospheric Monitor) telescope at the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina and about a year of data taken by a similar instrument deployed at the planned future Southern site of the Cherenkov Telescope Array in Chile, we have developed methods to improve the precision of this measurement technique towards and possibly beyond the 0.01 mark. Detailed laboratory measurements of the response of the whole system to both the spectrum and intensity of incoming light have proven indispensable in this analysis as the usual assumption of linearity of the CCD detectors is not valid anymore for the conditions of the observations