Progress in the Applications of Smart Piezoelectric Materials for Medical Devices

• Main Authors: Angelika Zaszczyńska, Arkadiusz Gradys, Paweł Sajkiewicz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
• Series: Polymers
• Subjects: polymers; smart materials; piezoelectric materials; inorganic materials; organic materials; biomedical devices
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/11/2754

Smart piezoelectric materials are of great interest due to their unique properties. Piezoelectric materials can transform mechanical energy into electricity and vice versa. There are mono and polycrystals (piezoceramics), polymers, and composites in the group of piezoelectric materials. Recent years show progress in the applications of piezoelectric materials in biomedical devices due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Medical devices such as actuators and sensors, energy harvesting devices, and active scaffolds for neural tissue engineering are continually explored. Sensors and actuators from piezoelectric materials can convert flow rate, pressure, etc., to generate energy or consume it. This paper consists of using smart materials to design medical devices and provide a greater understanding of the piezoelectric effect in the medical industry presently. A greater understanding of piezoelectricity is necessary regarding the future development and industry challenges.