Blood-repellent metal could lead to safer implants
Your body would be less likely to reject this specially crafted titanium.
If you have to get an implant in the future, you may not have to worry quite so much about your body rejecting that life-enhancing technology. Colorado State University scientists have developed a titanium surface that's so blood-repellent that it fools your body into believing that there's no intruder at all. The team grew chemically modified layers that serve as barriers between the metal and organics, blocking any real contact. Fluorinated nanotubes were the most effective method of repelling blood in the experiments.
There's more work needed before the metal is ready for real-world use. However, it could easily lead to implants that are not only safer, but improve your quality of life. Implant recipients frequently need blood thinners to prevent clotting and the rejection that follows. With this augmented titanium, clotting might never happen. You wouldn't have to worry quite so much about losing your implant, and you wouldn't have to take medicine just to prevent a disaster. And when titanium is already used in many implants, it wouldn't require a major shift in technology.
