by Keyword: Gallium
Ebrahimi N, Bi C, Cappelleri DJ, Ciuti G, Conn AT, Faivre D, Habibi N, Hošovský A, Iacovacci V, Khalil ISM, Magdanz V, Misra S, Pawashe C, Rashidifar R, Soto-Rodriguez PED, Fekete Z, Jafari A, (2021). Magnetic Actuation Methods in Bio/Soft Robotics Advanced Functional Materials 31, 
© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH In recent years, magnetism has gained an enormous amount of interest among researchers for actuating different sizes and types of bio/soft robots, which can be via an electromagnetic-coil system, or a system of moving permanent magnets. Different actuation strategies are used in robots with magnetic actuation having a number of advantages in possible realization of microscale robots such as bioinspired microrobots, tetherless microrobots, cellular microrobots, or even normal size soft robots such as electromagnetic soft robots and medical robots. This review provides a summary of recent research in magnetically actuated bio/soft robots, discussing fabrication processes and actuation methods together with relevant applications in biomedical area and discusses future prospects of this way of actuation for possible improvements in performance of different types of bio/soft robots.
JTD Keywords: capsule endoscope, controlled propulsion, conventional gastroscopy, digital microfluidics, guided capsule, liquid-metal, magnetic drug delivery, magnetic microrobots, magnetically guided capsule endoscopy, magnetotactic bacteria, nanoscribe ip-dip, navigation system, Gallium-indium egain, Magnetic bioinspired micromanipulation, Magnetic drug delivery, Magnetic microrobots, Magnetically guided capsule endoscopy, Magnetotactic bacteria
Rodríguez-Contreras, A., Torres, D., Guillem-Marti, J., Sereno, P., Ginebra, M. P., Calero, J. A., Manero, J. M., Rupérez, E., (2020). Development of novel dual-action coatings with osteoinductive and antibacterial properties for 3D-printed titanium implants Surface and Coatings Technology 403, 126381
Gallium (Ga) has been recently proposed as a novel therapeutic agent, since it promotes bone formation and exhibits antibacterial properties. This work focuses on the optimization of a thermochemical treatment that incorporates Ga ions by the addition of the body-friendly Ga nitrate approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The objective was to simultaneously provide the inner and the outer surfaces of porous‑titanium surfaces obtained by 3D-printing with bioactivity and antibacterial properties. The apatite-forming ability of the coating, as well as the antibacterial activity and SaOS-2 cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and mineralization were evaluated and compared with untreated Ti surfaces. The characterization of the surfaces revealed the presence of a Ga-containing calcium titanate layer, which was non cytotoxic and in simulated body fluid produced a homogeneous apatite coating well adhered to the substrate. The formation of this apatite layer was accelerated with increasing Ga amounts present on the surface, resulting also in an increase in thickness. An initial quick release of Ga ion promoted the antibacterial effect against gram positive strains, especially for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the most frequent resistant pathogens in nosocomial infections. SaOS-2 cells adhered and proliferated on the Ga-doped Ti surfaces, its presence contributed to cell differentiation and to considerably increase the mineralization levels. Thus, the developed multifunctional coatings could provide bioactivity to the porous Ti implants while protecting them from the most frequent gram-negative pathogens.
JTD Keywords: 3D-printing, Antibacterial activity, Biomaterials, Gallium, Porous structures, Titanium implants
