Objetivo
Prosthesis implantation of the hip and knee are amongst the most common operations carried out, together with the shoulder and finger prosthesis implantation these account for 1.4m operations annually across Europe. Although the prosthesis implants and equipment used for their implantation is sterilised post operative infections occur, resulting in 50000 cases of deep bone infection and 193000 cases of superficial infection. These infections are the result of bacterial contamination during the operation, once removed from the protective packaging, or of contamination of equipment. Deep bone infections often result in the removal of 7% of prosthesis implantations, in severe cases, 9% result in the amputation of the limb. Upon removal of the implantation the patient can be left without an implant for days or months until the infection has been eradicated at which point revisional surgery is performed.
Our idea:Develop a dendritic structured surface coating for prosthesis implants that will deliver antibiotics, anti- inflammatory, with bone promotional drugs to the potential sites of infection following implantation. It will be done by encapsulating the desired drugs in a polymer shell that will decompose at a set rate to give the desired drug release over a series of weeks or months. The polymer shells will be linked to each other and the implant surface by a series of opposing pole affinity bonds that will break down as a result of bio-chemical attack from the immune system resulting in the release of the polymer encapsulated drugs into the surrounding area, allowing both deep bone infection and soft tissue infection to be treated.
Our aim: Develop a surface coating for prosthesis implants that will revolutionise the implant market by reducing the number of post operative infections by 60% allowing for a greater number of implantations to be performed without the need for remedial...
Ámbito científico
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineodontologydental implantology
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsantibiotics
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplants
Convocatoria de propuestas
FP6-2004-SME-COOP
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoria
Régimen de financiación
COOPERATIVE -Coordinador
LEATHERHEAD, SURREY
Reino Unido