Medical applications
Medical X-Ray dosimetry
Medical X-ray dosimetry is one field in which synthetic diamond is being developed for sensing arrays that can be used for calibration of X-ray machines used for cancer therapy treatment. Though its subsidiary, Diamond Detectors Ltd, Element Six is developing diamond detectors that can provide accurate data to help technicians set up machines for treatment. Diamond’s particular benefit in this application compared to other sensing technology is that diamond is radiation hard, robust and is biologically comparable with the human body.
Medical Implant Materials
Within the medical field, Element Six has taken an active interest in long-term research that is investigating the potential of synthetic diamond as an implant material for uses in medical implant such as hip joints.
The development in synthesis technology coupled with the ability to grow different diamond shapes and coatings could open up the possibility of new and improved implants for hip replacement. Today the majority of hip implants use material solutions and designs that have not changed substantially since they were first introduced in the 1960s. The life of current hip joint designs is limited to an average of 10-15 years due to the loosening of the fixation as a result of wear debris.
It is the combination of diamond’s properties that could, potentially, offer better performance in terms of wear, hardness, strength and compatibility. In particular, the potential to reduce or eliminate wear debris coupled with the non-toxic nature of diamond makes this an interesting area of research.