Biomaterials

 

The lab protocols for each of the 6 labs will be placed here for you to read over before coming to lab and to reference for the lab report requirements.

On the first days of lab (14, 15 Jan), half of the students will stay and perform the lab (Wednesday A and Thursday A) and half will be asked to leave and return the following week (Wednesday B and Thursday B). You will then attend lab every other week. Check your schedule and determine whether the A weeks or the B weeks are better for you.

All laboratory assignments will be submitted to the TA via WebCT. If Biomaterials 5301 is not listed on your WebCT homepage, please contact the TA. If you are registered for BIOEN 6900 - give it a day or two and the course should be listed, you won't need access until your assignment is due.

Lab Date Topic
14,15 Jan

Lab 1 - Introduction to Biomedical Devices

Classify Your Medical Device

Grading Sheet for Lab 1

28, 29 Jan

Lab 2 - Surface Characterization

Group Divisions for Lab 2

Grading Sheet for Lab 2

11, 12 Feb

Lab 3 - Introduction to Sutures

ASTM Document

Fabrication Method for Test Specimens

Grading Sheet for Lab 3

25, 26 Feb Lab 4 - Introduction to Adhesives and Composite Structure
24, 25 Mar

Lab 5a - Hollow Fiber Fabrication

Group Divisions for Lab 5a

7, 8 Apr Lab 5b- Hollow Fiber Characterization

Your guide to a safe lab experience

Believe it or not, there is only one person who can make you safe in the lab. That's you. But to be safe, you have to decide that you want to be safe: you must be proactive. This means thinking ahead about what to do to be safe, getting an attitude (of safety, that is), and working on building good safety habits.

Safety is:

  • common sense behavior, thought out before an accident so you know what to look for (to prevent it) and how to respond (if one does happen)
  • a self-aware attitude of observing and thinking safe at all times
  • making good habits so safe things come naturally

Safety can be summed up in six words:
Think safe, act safe, be safe!

Common sense
Common sense is easy: just ask yourself what your mom would want you to do so you don't hurt yourself. Problem is, you have to be able to see the results and consequences of each action before you do it. That's not easy; in fact, it's hard work because you have to pay attention and ask yourself questions all the time, before and while you're in the lab. It is sort of like playing chess.

Attitude
This isn't really hard, either, but hard to keep up all the time. Just ask yourself, "Does this guy have this attitude all the time, or does he ever relax?" a good attitude doesn't relax: that's when an accident happens! Always ask yourself in the lab: "Is this safe? What can go wrong? Could this hurt someone else? What should I be looking for?"

Habits
Bad habits are easy to make; it's the good ones that you have to work hard at to get and keep. So how do you get good habits? Work hard at it! Be selfish. Think of yourself and to yourself: "This is a good habit to make." And then, keep doing it over and over till it becomes a habit you don't have to think about.

Rules
Rules are our little way of telling you, "WAKE UP AND PAY ATTENTION!" We try not to make up stupid rules (but rarely succeed). Most of the rules make sense if you think about them; if not, ask us, and if they still don't make sense, quit and find another profession (or convince us we're wrong so we change the rule). Either way, follow the rules or pay the price (which may hurt your grade or cause injury, but not both: if you cut off your finger, we figure that's punishment enough).

So the rules are as simple as we can make them:

  • Safety (catch that word?) glasses/goggles MUST be worn at all times.
  • No open-toe shoes or sandals.
  • No long hair flying every which way (into motors, flames, chemicals...).
  • No food or drink at the bench: you might grab and drink the wrong stuff!
  • KNOW what your weighing, mixing, pouring into what....
  • Watch yourself and the other guy - ask questions of both of you.
  • Know where the fire extinguisher is, the fire blanket, the eye wash and the exits
  • Program yourself for the obvious. Stand in the lab the first few times and repeat after me: "In case of fire, I will go to the fire extinguisher, grab it, pull the pin, aim the hose at the base of the fire, and blast the beejeebers out of it!" But maybe you should first ask what kind of fire and what's the best way to put it out.
    Sometimes, just putting a beaker or watch glass over a flask with fire coming out shuts it down.
  • Don't do the dramatic if the simple will work (remember "common sense"??).


Now read the first lab (and every one after that), then:

  • Think of three things that could go wrong with the skills involved.
  • Think of three things that could involve safety problems: write these all down, bring them to class to discuss, and put them in your lab report in the right place.

What you will need for the Lab:

  • A lab notebook.

What to do for the lab:

1) Pre-lab preparation:

  • read the material assigned; and,
  • write up a concise step-by-step outline of what you will do in your:" this makes you organize so you can be safe and efficient in the lab, and so you know what you are doing when you are doing it.

2) In-lab activities, listen and watch any demonstration by the TA; make notes:

  • write down all weights (tare, total, net), volumes, measurements and in-lab calculations directly in your lab notebook (not on loose paper that can get lost: you need a permanent record)
  • write down all observations you make: what actually happened?
  • write down all questions you (or others) asked plus answers
  • before you leave (and forget), write down a quick summary of how things went, what happened, and why

3) Post-lab activites

  • collect any data from others or from literature you might need
  • do calculations, spectral work-ups, plotting, chemical drawing and molecular modeling, whatever and organize this information
  • write up the lab: use a computer to write it: import data, plots, structures, tables from files directly into your report
  • attach anything else required; hand it in on time

Lab Report format:

There will be 6 lab reports that are generally due two weeks after the lab exercise, except for lab 5 which will require two meetings to complete and will be due one week after the last meeting or the last day of class. All but the first will use the abstract format for the 29thAnnual Meeting of the Society of Biomaterials as the format for the lab report. It can be found by visiting the Society of Biomaterials website (www.biomaterials.org). You must get to the abstract guidelines by navigating throught the 7th World Biomaterials Congress page and clicking on the "Call for Abstracts" link (http://www.tourhosts.com.au/biomaterials/abstract.html). Prepare the last 5 lab reports by using the information described under Abstract Contents and Abstract Format. This is the easy part (format), don't screw it up! Lab reports that do not comply with this format will be returned ungraded. A grade point deduction will be assessed for late lab reports. The second lab report will be graded with an emphasis on formatting, and lab reports 3 - 5 will be graded more heavily on content. There are proceedings of the Annual Meeting for the Society for Biomaterials (3 CDs, 1 Book) on reserve at the Eccles Library for use in writing your lab reports.

 

 

 

If there are any questions related to this site, please  contact Jennifer Walsh