Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Supplies and Components Index
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • MedTech Resources
    • Medtech Events in 2025
    • The 2024 Medtech Big 100
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Subscribe to Print Magazine
    • DeviceTalks
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Educational Assets
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Voices
    • Views
    • Video
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Women in Medtech
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Turns out graphene can fight bacteria on implants

April 18, 2018 By Danielle Kirsh

graphene flakes

[Image from Chalmers University]

Graphene flakes that are arranged like spikes can kill bacteria and stop infections during implant surgery procedures, according to new research from Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden.

Bacteria moves around the body in fluids like blood looking for an area to stick to. Once they find a place, the bacteria starts to grow and form a protective layer called a biofilm.

Surgical implant procedures like hip and knee replacements and dental implants have a risk of bacterial infection. Sometimes, this causes the implant to not be able to attach to the skeleton, causing the implant to have to be removed. Most prosthetic joint infections (PJI) require surgery and medical therapy to treat the resulting joint pain. The cost to treat PJI in the U.S. was $566M in 2009 and is expected to more than double to $1.62B by 2020, according to a 2014 Clinical Microbiology Reviews article relayed by the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers at Chalmers University have recently shown that a layer of vertical graphene flakes acts as a protective surface that bacteria can’t attach to. Rather than sticking to the surface, the bacteria is cut apart by the flakes and dies. The graphene layers do not interfere with the bone structure’s ability to attach to an implant.

The researchers suggest that coating implants with the graphene flakes can protect patients from infection, eliminate the need for antibiotic treatment and reduce implant rejections.

“We discovered that the key parameter is to orient the graphene vertically. If it is horizontal, the bacteria are not harmed” said Ivan Mijakovic, professor in the department of biology and biological engineering at Chalmers University, in a press release.

The spikes of graphene do not affect human cells because human cells are significantly larger than bacteria. One bacteria measures one micrometer while one human cell measure 25 micrometers.

“Graphene has high potential for health applications. But more research is needed before we can claim it is entirely safe. Among other things, we know that graphene does not degrade easily” said Jie Sun, one of the researchers on the study.

The researchers also note that good bacteria are killed by the graphene spikes, but since it is localized, the microflora balance in the body is unaffected.

“We want to prevent bacteria from creating an infection. Otherwise, you may need antibiotics, which could disrupt the balance of normal bacteria and also enhance the risk of antimicrobial resistance by pathogens” said Santosh Pandit, one of the researchers.

The researchers hope to further their use of graphene spikes by coating implant surfaces and studying the effect of them on animal cells.

You may also like:

  • AMF
    Magnetic fields can destroy biofilms on implants: Here’s how
  • Pseudomonas bacteria forming a biofilm
    This bacterial discovery could prevent biofilms

About The Author

Danielle Kirsh

Danielle Kirsh is an award-winning journalist and senior editor for Medical Design & Outsourcing, MassDevice, and Medical Tubing + Extrusion, and the founder of Women in Medtech and lead editor for Big 100. She received her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and mass communication from Norfolk State University and is pursuing her master's in global strategic communications at the University of Florida. You can connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn, or email her at dkirsh@wtwhmedia.com.

Related Articles Read More >

Min-Vasive Medtech: Live interviews and audience Q&As with minimally invasive engineers from Edwards Lifesciences, Jupiter Endo and Compremium
MIT emergency drug delivery implantable device glucagon diabetes (1)
Implantable device could save diabetes patients from dangerously low blood sugar
An illustration of Embolization Inc.'s Nitinol Enhanced Device (NED).
This nitinol vascular embolization device has another shape memory material up its sleeve
July 2025 edition: The Surgical Robotics issue, featuring Capstan Medical, J&J and Zimmer Biomet
“mdo
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest medical device business news, application and technology trends.

DeviceTalks Weekly

See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media LLC. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Supplies and Components Index
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • MedTech Resources
    • Medtech Events in 2025
    • The 2024 Medtech Big 100
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Subscribe to Print Magazine
    • DeviceTalks
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Educational Assets
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Voices
    • Views
    • Video
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Women in Medtech
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe