The project CellFreeImplant, “Cell-free Ti-based Medical Implants due to Laser-induced Microstructures”, has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 800832. This project was a Coordination and Support Action in the framework of the FET Innovation Launchpad scheme, which aims at turning results from FET-funded projects into genuine societal or economic innovations. It brought together 3 partners from 2 different countries. The project consortium is very interdisciplinary combining renowned experts from the fields of physics, mechatronics, life sciences, electrochemistry, laser-matter interaction, and practical medicine (especially cardiology).
New miniaturized and smart medical implants are more and more used in all medical fields, including miniaturized pacemakers. These implants with a casing consisting often of a Ti-alloy may have to be removed after some months or several years and shall therefore not be completely overgrown by the cells. In the framework of the recently finished FET Open project LiNaBioFluid, we successfully demonstrated that self-organized sharp cones or spikes covered with sub-micrometer ripples at Ti-alloy substrates created by pulsed laser-ablation can provide too little surface for the cells to grow on. Compared to flat surfaces, the cell density on the microstructures is significantly lowered, the coverage is incomplete and the cells have a clearly different morphology. The best results regarding suppression of cell growth are obtained on structures created by femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser irradiation, which are subsequently electrochemically treated.
The main goal of CellFreeImplant was to find partners for future development of implants addressing wide-spread patients' needs. We wanted to identify at least four different market segments in the field of miniaturized and smart medical implants. We provided customized samples with surfaces with femtosecond laser-induced micro- and nano-structures optionally combined with electrochemically oxidation for assessment of the technology by end-users, which were commercial producers of medical implants and prostheses.
Parallel to the assessment, business scenarios should be developed how the medical implants with our novel surface treatment could be produced in future and which steps have to be taken on this pathway to commercialization.
