Coating Cutting Blades with Thin-Film Metallic Glass to Enhance Sharpness

Abstract

In this study, we sought to enhance the cutting properties of the various blades by coating them with Zr- and Fe-based thin film metallic glasses (TFMGs) to a thickness of 234–255 nm via sputter deposition. In oil-repellency/sliding tests on kitchen blades, the sliding angle and friction forces were as follows: bare blades (31.6°) and (35 µN), Ti-coated blades (20.3°) and (23.7 µN), and Z-TFMG coated blades (16.2°) and (19.2 µN). Comparisons were conducted with bare blades and those with a Teflon coating (a low-friction material commonly used for the coating of microtome blades). We also found that the Teflon coating reduced the cutting forces of an uncoated microtome blade by ~80%, whereas the proposed Z-TFMG achieved a ~51% reduction. The Z-TFMG presented no indications of delamination after being used 30 times for cutting; however, the Teflon coating proved highly susceptible to peeling and the bare blade was affected by surface staining. These results demonstrate the efficacy of the TFMG coating in terms of low friction, non-stick performance, and substrate adhesion. The performance of Z-TFMG and F-TFMG was also evaluated in split-thickness skin graft surgery using dermatome blades aimed at elucidating the influence of TFMG coatings on the healing of surgical incisions. When tested repeatedly on hairless skin, the surface roughness of uncoated blades increased by approximately 70%, whereas the surface roughness of TFMG-coated blades increases by only 8.6%. In the presence of hair, the surface roughness of uncoated blades increased by approximately ~108%, whereas the surface roughness of TFMG-coated blades increases by only ~23%. By Day 7, the wounds produced using TFMG-coated blades were noticeably smaller than those produced using uncoated blades, and these effects were particularly evident in hairy samples. This is a clear demonstration of the efficacy of TFMG surface coatings in preserving the cutting quality of surgical instruments.

Metallic glass coating for improving diamond dicing performance

“…Crystallographic analyses based on XRD confirmed the amorphous nature of the coating, with results similar to those reported in Ref. 12,13 . XRD patterns obtained from the TFMG coating monolayer, bare and coated blades are shown in Fig.…”

“…Compared with a bare blade, a blade coated with Teflon (e.g., microtome blades for thin slicing biological samples) can reduce cutting forces by ~ 80%. TFMG-coated blades can reduce cutting forces by ~ 51% without any of the peeling to which Teflon-coated blades are susceptible 13 .…”

Recent development of chemically complex metallic glasses: from accelerated compositional design, additive manufacturing to novel applications

“…Making use of this attribute, people can improve the smoothness and sharpness of surgical blades by coating them with metallic-glass films. For instance, Chu et al [221] coated cutting blades with the Zr 53 Cu 33 Al 9 Ta 5 metallic-glass thin film, which could reduce the cutting force of microtome blades by ∼51%. Meanwhile, the metallicglass coatings can reduce the increase in the roughness of dermatome blades from 70% to only 8.6% after their use in a split-thickness skin graft surgery for hairless skin.…”

Metallic glass coating for improved needle tattooing performance in reducing trauma: analysis on porcine and pig skins

“…MG coatings feature high strength, good ductility, a smooth surface, low friction, and high hydrophobicity, exceeding those of other alloys and ceramic coatings 7,8 . The non-stick characteristics of hydrophobic materials make them ideal for medical devices, such as needles, scalpels, microtomes, dermatomes, and guide wires [8][9][10][11][12] . In previous studies, we compared the performance of different kinds of coatings 9,10 and demonstrated that MG coatings can reduce insertion/retraction resistance into porcine tissue and rubber by as much as 60-70% 9 .…”

“…The non-stick characteristics of hydrophobic materials make them ideal for medical devices, such as needles, scalpels, microtomes, dermatomes, and guide wires [8][9][10][11][12] . In previous studies, we compared the performance of different kinds of coatings 9,10 and demonstrated that MG coatings can reduce insertion/retraction resistance into porcine tissue and rubber by as much as 60-70% 9 . Compared to bare needles, MG-treated needles have also been shown to reduce the area of needle-induced trauma by up to 44% 11 .…”