Are there any metals that the human body does not reject? I need one that is strong, yet light. Hopefully not radioactive also. And it should be relatively cheap. I am thinking about bionic implants, and how I would make one. Specifically, one that would be transdermal. It would be bolted onto the bone, yet it would come out of the skin. Can anyone help me?
I seem to remember about a hungarian national that the KGB killed. They used a poison-laced ball of a metal I cannot remember. I think it was an alloy of titanium.
I read in my physics book that there was an alloy designed for use in artificial bone joints and things. Because of some unusual crystalline structure in it, its not only strong, its very nearly indestructible. They said it became stronger when forces acted upon it because of its structure. Since this was designed with bone joints in mind, I would guess it wouldn’t be rejected by your body. On a better note, even if rejected by your body, you can make a tank outta this stuff and rule the world.
Seriously, though, the noble metals (gold, silver, copper, platinum, iridium) shouldn’t be rejected, but they’re expensive and leave something to be desired in strength (but then again, your gold counterparts somehow manage ACs as low as -12). Perhaps either an alloy or plating of gold with something a bit more durable?
Orthopaedic surgeons use metal all the time. I have a metal screw in my wrist and haven’t rejected it yet.
Also, massive compound fractures of things like the shin are often fixed by screwing metal plate onto the bones and connecting them by rods that poke out of the skin.
And for neck injuries they sometimes screw a halo looking thing into your skull.
I thought about going ahead and having all of my joints replaced with the metal ones, but it would be expensive and they don’t know the long term effects of the replacements.
Most of your better-grade prosthetic joints and bones are being made of ceramics now…they’re more durable and integrate better into the existing bone. Perhaps a core of titanium would be possible with a ceramic coating. Ceramics, of course, also make outstanding blades, if you’re thinking about that.
The big trouble you’re going to have is the TRANS-part of trans-dermal. It’s difficult (not impossible, mind you) to have something protrude externally because of the breach in the skin. Your skin is a neat organ and will desperately try to repair itself to prevent infection…you’d need some of that new surgical glue stuff to seal the opening.
It sounds like a neat idea…I think you should line up a surgeon as soon as possible before they all sober up.
I was considering ceramics for anything other than a blade weapon. I am not sure how durable and strong a ceramic blade would be. I know about ceramic knives and how sharp they are, yet they are very fragile. But a ceramic implant wouldn’t set off airport security…
I was also thinking of a microchip that could be implanted on my artery walls. It could be charged by radio waves, which can already be done, and it would monitor my blood pressure, toxin levels, etc.
I got the idea while watching a Discovery Channel show on robots. They had a guy who had gotten an ID chip implanted in him. Whenever the professor entered the cybernetics building of the university, the computers would track him. The chip was powered by a radio charge.
I just need a way to trick my skin into thinking that it has no breaks. That will be the real challenge. I am thinking of going with non-electric or low-charge electric apps starting off. A nice ceramic switchblade triggered by a solenoid in my wrist would be verrrry cool. I’ll poke around the net some more for info.
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The KGB assassination you mentioned used a tiny, hollow iridium ball filled with an extract of the castor bean (basically super-concentrated castor oil) delivered with the tip of an umbrella. The body ignored the iridium, so there was no swelling at the delivery site to show the source of the poisoning. Clever–nasty, but clever.
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Ceramic is definitely the way to go–I think I’ll get a ceramic switchblade for my next implant. Note to self: Make certain blades are replaceable without further surgery.
The problem with replacement joints, so I hear, is long term durability. They wear out. Currently replacement joints (like hips, knees, etc) have an expected life of about 10 years. Great for 70 year olds who break a hip, lousy for 30 year olds with a football injury.
