Infrared Irradiation of Calcium Hydroxyapatite to Remove Calcified Plaque

Overview

Objectives/Goals Test the ability of Calcium Hydroxyapatite, found in many calcification diseases, to convert infrared light to heat to break up calcified plaques. Methods/Materials Used infrared and deep purple light to test suspensions' ability to convert infrared light and deep purple light to heat insulted in a modified evacuated chamber. Solution had various concentrations of Calcium Hydroxyapatite in PBS and in DI water. Negative controls of pure solvent as well as positive controls of concentrated wetted and dry samples where tested. After these tests a calorimeter was used to quantify the heat conversion of the more effective light source. A resistor circuit in a bread board, LED, deep purple laser, a modified vacuum chamber, calorimeter, and temperature probe was used. Results The controls provided the clearest heating results for the first step. Infrared light was converted to heat through, Calcium Hydroxyapatite, more efficiently than the deep purple light was converted, as predicted. The heating was then quantified with a calorimeter in multiple trials. Conclusions/Discussion The Calcium Hydroxyapatite proved to be an effective source for converting infrared light to heat. With an infrared laser this conversion could be used to break up plaques effectively.

Competition history

• CSEF 2016 Physics & Astronomy · Entry S1706

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

Related projects

Closest projects by meaning, across every fair and year in the corpus.

Browse more like this

• All Physics and Astronomy projects
• CSEF Physics and Astronomy projects
• Every CSEF 2016 project