We use two different pulsed laser-direct writing methods to fabricate biodegradable micro-devices for biomedical engineering applications. Biodegradable polymeric materials poly (å-caprolactone) (PCL), poly (glycolic acid) (PGA) and poly (D-lactic acid) (PLA) were micropatterned using a Ti-sapphire femto-second pulsed laser and ArF excimer UV laser. The surface profile and morphology of the micro-devices were studied after laser-direct patterning using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and microspectrophotometry [Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)]. The samples were then placed into a degrading medium and tested to determine if any differences were exhibited in degradation rates after laser ablation. The physical and chemical mechanisms of ablation associated with both pulsed lasers are compared and explained.
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