Welcome to the Glass Age

43 3. Glasses for Healthcare J ulian R. J ones and D elia S. B rauer Introduction to the types of glasses used in healthcare When glass is selected as the optimal material for a particular application, it is usually chosen for its transparency and optical properties, or for its ability to resist corrosion. In healthcare, these types of glasses are still very important, but another, more unusual type of glass is also used, which is designed to dissolve or “biodegrade”. Bioglasses are unique materials that can actively promote healing of tissues, such as bones or skin lesions, and they have thus changed the way clinicians think about biomaterials. They can also kill bacteria where antibiotics have failed. “Conventional” glasses and “bioglasses” all play important roles in healthcare, some impacting our lives daily, others enabling lifesaving or life changing surgery. This chapter will begin discussing the application of traditional glasses in healthcare provision before moving to bioglasses in regenerative medicine. Inert glasses We are all familiar with eyeglasses, or spectacles, which a long time ago revolutionised the quality of life of our ageing population by enabling us to see clearly when our own lenses have deteriorated. Nowadays, many people of all ages, including small children, wear glasses to help them see better. The social and economic impact of eyeglasses is far more difficult to imagine, but it is clearly global and invaluable. Glass lenses work by bending light to a focal point, correcting our vision. Optical fibres, like those used in high-speed data