Non rejection bioreabsorbable scaffold for jaw implant, developed by Custom-Fit.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 9, 2009 -- Even jaw implants have this problem. It becomes necessary to repair jaw bone defects due to trauma or illness. The risk of rejection is normally lowered by using Autolog Bone Transplant or using a metal, normally titanium, which have drawbacks.
The EU funded project Custom-Fit has been working on a scaffold made using a brand new material which is bioreabsorbable, that is, once implanted, it is substituted by re-grown natural bone in 6-12 months.

The Custom-Fit project is a technological research program whose goal is the development a new manufacturing paradigm for producing personalised products, customised to the individual shape of the human body. This has been done by integrating Scanning Technologies, newly developed CAD systems (Computer Aided Design) and Rapid Manufacturing technologies, starting from a 3D design, adding material where needed instead of removing it where not.
The mandible implant has been chosen as one of the test benches to try out this new manufacturing technology, together with other medical and consumer goods.
The Custom-Fit way to manufacture a mandible implant takes advantage of the best available technologies in design, in material science and in manufacturing, thanks to the member partners of the Custom-Fit consortium.

The process is the following (Image #2). The jaw bone geometry is studied through Computerised Tomography, CT images are then worked using specialised software (Mimics by Materialise) capable of extracting the jaw bone surface in a standard file format for later surface design which uses STL. This is capable of distinguishing the damaged part of the bone from the healthy one.
Then, a surface model of the implant, which has to replace the damaged bone part, is easily designed with a CAD system (3-matic, by Materialise in Germany) that allows the direct playing with facet models (STL-files) avoiding the conversion to CAD-surfaces; this dramatically shortens the implant design phase. Here, engineers and surgeons work in collaboration to decide were to cut the jaw and consequently the size of the scaffold.

The 3D model of the implant is then completed by adding the internal structure, i.e. adding porosity using more design software called Innerspace that was developed by TNO, in the Netherlands.
Finally the model is sliced ready to be manufactured on a special Rapid Manufacturing tool, capable of printing multi-material and porous objects, using high viscosity resins, the Inkjet Printing tool also developed by TNO.
And one of the resins printable by IP is the bioreabsorbable resin developed by DSM, a Custom-Fit partner, that is responsible for new material development. First samples have been successfully printed.

bio-reabsorbable material     custom-fit     design     jaw implants     medical     non-reject     rapid manufacturing