Review Medical applications of diamond particles & surfaces

Due to its unique mechanical, chemical, optical and biological properties diamond has been considered for various medical applications. Described herein are synthetic diamond surfaces and methods for preparing particles. In addition, recent advances in the use of diamond in prostheses, sensors, imaging and drug delivery applications are also being considered. These developments indicate that diamond-containing structures significantly improve diagnosis and treatment of disease states over the next few years.

Tens of millions of patients receive accelerator-based diagnosis and treatment every year at hospitals and clinics worldwide. Particle accelerators have two major roles in medical applications: the production of radioisotopes for medical diagnosis and treatment, and electron beams, proton sources and heavier charged particles for medical applications. The broad half-lives of radioisotopes and their different types of radiation allow for optimization for specific applications. X-rays, gamma rays or positron emitting isotopes can be used as diagnostic probes external to the patient to image the imaging radiation distribution for biological structure and fluid motion or contraction (eg blood flow). The emitters of beta ray (electron) and alpha particle (deuteron) accumulate the majority of the energy near the release core and act as a therapeutic agent to destroy cancerous tissue.

Due to its unique mechanical, chemical, optical and biological properties diamond has been considered for various medical applications. Described herein are synthetic diamond surfaces and methods for preparing particles. In addition, recent advances in the use of diamond in prostheses, sensors, imaging and drug delivery applications are also being considered. These developments indicate that diamond-containing structures significantly improve diagnosis and treatment of disease states over the next few years.

Major industrial applications of diamond are cutting, drilling, grinding, polishing. Most of these applications do not require large diamonds; indeed, in addition to the small size, most gem quality diamonds can be used industrially. Diamonds are embedded in drills and saw blades, or they are crushed into powder for grinding and polishing applications. For professional uses, there are restrictions on use in containers (see Diamond Anvil) used in laboratory high pressure experiments, high performance bearings, and dedicated windows. As the production of synthetic diamond continues to advance, new applications become feasible. Using diamond as a semiconductor for microchips and as a heat sink for electronic products is exciting thanks to its excellent thermal conductivity.