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Surface Integrity for Micro/Nano Processing of Polymers: A European Research Training Network for High-Performance Medical Devices

Project description

All things great and small: superior medical devices from precision nanostructuring

Polymers have become ubiquitous, now widespread in low- and high-tech medical materials and devices, in addition to more conventional applications like consumer electronics, automobiles and packaging. Medical devices have additional and much more stringent requirements regarding their safety and effectiveness for human use. The EU-funded SIMPPER_MedDev project is taking advantage of the potential to control micro- and nano-scale features of polymers during manufacture to meet these requirements. The project training network will develop technologies and methods for micro- and nano-precision manufacturing of surface features that will be directly correlated to enhanced performance and functionality of the resulting medical devices.

Objective

Increased demand for high-quality healthcare for our aging population means that medical device design must satisfy multiple requirements for enhanced biocompatibility, anti-bacterial resistance, manipulation of proteins and improved physical properties. The use of micro/nano structures integral to the surface of a device is a novel way to uniformly tune and control these properties. Polymer materials are ubiquitous in medical devices: in Europe alone, this sector includes 27,000 companies employing 675,000 people with an annual turnover of €110 billion. Precision processing of polymers with micro/nano structures is critical to developing high value-added medical devices. Our ETN focuses on surface integrity issues when micro/nano processing polymers for high performance medical devices. We will develop micro/nano-scale precision manufacturing processes, specifically moulding and forming, and additive and subtractive manufacturing, aimed at 6 classes of medical devices that have particular industry-defined requirements. A strategy to design surface micro/nano structures that provide required functionality for these devices will be established. The surface integrity of these materials and devices will be studied at a fundamental level and correlated with functionality, allowing for optimising the efficacy and performance of the medical devices. Our training will ensure that 12 outstanding ESRs become experts in design and the precision micro/nano processing of polymers for medical devices, thereby improving their career prospects. Our ESRs will undertake interdisciplinary and intersectoral research on polymer micro/nano processing for medical applications and obtain work experience with international industry. They will receive specialised technical training and transferable skills structured around state-of-the-art individual research projects that will provide them with pathways to engineering and manufacturing careers in Europe’s world-leading industry.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-ITN - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN)

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-ITN-2020

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 824 052,96
Address
BELFIELD
4 Dublin
Ireland

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Region
Ireland Eastern and Midland Dublin
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 824 052,96

Participants (8)

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