Abstract
As one of promising approaches to bone regeneration, various types of tissue-engineered bone have been proposed and developed toward better biocompatibility and less of ethical problems. To know the calcification of regenerative bone in vitro is critical to determine an appropriate time for implantation to bone defects in clinical field. The objective of this study is to develop an optical device for non-destructive monitoring of calcification of regenerative bone in vitro Utilizing two LEDs emitting light at a varied wavelength and a liquid crystal display (LCD), this device has been designed not only to quantitatively monitor the temporal change of the calcification, but also evaluate the spatial distribution of the calcification of regenerative bone without optical effects of culture medium. In a verification using hydroxyapatite-deposited collagen sponges with a varied degree of calcification, the device demonstrated the expected performances under the condition less than 0.2 mm of thickness of culture medium on the sample.
