Diamond-like Carbon Coatings in the Biomedical Field: Properties, Applications and Future Development

Repairment and replacement of organs and tissues are part of the history of struggle against human diseases, in addition to the research and development (R&D) of drugs. Acquisition and processing of specific substances and physiological signals are very important to understand the effects of pathology and treatment. These depend on the available biomedical materials. The family of diamond-like carbon coatings (DLCs) has been extensively applied in many industrial fields. DLCs have also been demonstrated to be biocompatible, both in vivo and in vitro. In many cases, the performance of biomedical devices can be effectively enhanced by coating them with DLCs, such as vascular stents, prosthetic heart valves and surgical instruments. However, the feasibility of the application of DLC in biomedicine remains under discussion. This review introduces the current state of research and application of DLCs in biomedical devices, their potential application in biosensors and urgent problems to be solved. It will be useful to build a bridge between DLC R&D workers and biomedical workers in order to develop high-performance DLC films/coatings, promote their practical use and develop their potential applications in the biomedical field.