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Biomedical subjects

Gerald Steiner

Publications and source records attributed to Gerald Steiner.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Characterization of metal-supported poly(methyl methacrylate) microstructures by FTIR imaging spectroscopy.

Thin microstructured poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films may be used as scaffolds for biosensor arrays. Microstructured pores form miniaturized vessels, each constituting an individual reaction vessel or detector element. Arrays of micropores with diameters between 2 and 80 microm were prepared in thin PMMA films on gold by optical lithography. Laterally resolved chemical information for microstructured PMMA films on a gold substrate was obtained by FTIR spectroscopic imaging. The carbonyl band was used to characterize the microstructure. Spectroscopic results indicate small amounts of PMMA residues inside the pores. A downshift of 5 cm(-1) compared to the position of the PMMA bulk carbonyl band indicates interactions of the PMMA residue with the gold substrate. Additional small bands are observed which indicate the formation of carboxylate during PMMA microstructuring. Three possible types of strong PMMA-gold interactions are discussed. All strong PMMA-gold interactions involve carbonyl or carboxyl oxygen.

Journal Article↗

Polarization modulation-infrared reflection absorption spectroscopic mapping.

Polarization modulation-infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) has been coupled with a stepwise mapping of the sample in order to characterize the molecular orientation across the surface. An optical setup has been developed to facilitate the PM-IRRAS mapping. With PM-IRRAS mapping used in conjunction with a common FT-IR spectrometer, the achievable lateral resolution of approximately 45 mum is energy-limited rather than diffraction-limited. PM-IRRAS mapping was used to study the molecular orientation of octadecanephosphonic acid (OPA) molecules attached on a microstructured aluminum oxide/gold surface. The spectroscopic map reveals that OPA is preferably spotty attached on the aluminum oxide surface. The attached molecules form a highly ordered film. A lower degree of ordering was found for phosphonic acid adsorbed on gold mainly in a tridentate bonding mode. Results demonstrate that PM-IRRAS mapping has a considerable potential for revealing inhomogenities within ultrathin films attached on a surface.

Absorption↗

In situ conformational analysis of fibrinogen adsorbed on Si surfaces.

Fibrinogen is a major plasma protein. Previous investigations of structural changes of fibrinogen due to adsorption are mostly based on indirect evidence after its desorption, whereas our measurements were performed on fibrinogen in its adsorbed state. Specific enzyme-linked immunosorption experiments showed that the amount of adsorbed fibrinogen increased as the surface became more hydrophobic. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigations revealed the trinodular shape of fibrinogen molecules adsorbed on hydrophilic surfaces, whereas all of the molecules appeared globular on hydrophobic surfaces. The distribution of secondary structures in adsorbed fibrinogen was quantified by in situ Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Substrates of identical chemical bulk composition but different surface hydrophobicity permit direct comparison among them. Adsorption properties of fibrinogen are different for each degree of hydrophobicity. Although there is some increase of turn structure and decrease of beta-sheet structure, the secondary structure of adsorbed fibrinogen on hydrophilic surface turned out to be rather similar to that of the protein in solution phase with a major alpha-helix content. Hydrophilic surfaces exhibit superior blood compatibility as required for medical applications.

Adsorption↗

Nucleation of calcium phosphate by surface-bound extracellular matrix.

The native extracellular matrix (ECM) laid down on silicon and titanium surfaces by osteoblast-like SAOS-2 cells was exposed by selective removal of cells. This type of material surface ECM-Si, ECM-Ti was shown to promote the nucleation of calcium phosphate from a simulated body fluid (SBF). Microscopic and spectroscopic results revealed the effect was associated with a collagen fiber-free extracellular matrix.

Body Fluids↗

Distinguishing and grading human gliomas by IR spectroscopy.

As a molecular probe of tissue composition, IR spectroscopy can potentially serve as an adjunct to histopathology in detecting and diagnosing disease. This study demonstrates that cancerous brain tissue (astrocytoma, glioblastoma) is distinguishable from control tissue on the basis of the IR spectra of thin tissue sections. It is further shown that the IR spectra of astrocytoma and glioblastoma affected tissue can be discriminated from one another, thus providing insight into the malignancy grade of the tissue. Both the spectra and the methods employed for their classification reveal characteristic differences in tissue composition. In particular, the nature and relative amounts of brain lipids, including both the gangliosides and phospholipids, appear to be altered in cancerous compared to control tissue. Using a genetic classification approach, classification success rates of up to 89% accuracy were obtained, depending on the number of regions included in the model. The diagnostic potential and practical applications of IR spectroscopy in brain tumor diagnosis are discussed.

Adult↗

Interface-mediated synthesis of hydroxyapatite.

Interfacing of water vapor and titanium was employed for a controlled synthesis of surface-supported hydroxyapatite. In this approach, a Ti surface was doped with Ca and P by ion implantation and then subjected to a hydrothermal treatment in a water vapor autoclave. Ion implantation served to prepare a reactive blend of finely dispersed reactants in a stoichiometric ratio incorporated within the network of an outermost layer of the substrate surface. Needle-like carbonate hydroxyapatite in an overlay was identified to deposit onto the surface. The results suggest interface-mediated thin film formation and phase transformation.

Biocompatible Materials↗