Project Title: Development of a 3D printed bioabsorbable composite materials for orthopaedic applications

 

Project Description: This project will demonstrate the potential of 3D printing of orthopaedic implants using carbon-fibre reinforced/polyamide (nylon) material system to produce patient-specific orthopaedic plate and scaffold structures. Extrusion technology will be used to produce spools of bioabsorbable composite filaments, which is compatible with 3D printer systems. Parameters of composite 3D printing system will be optimised to enable printing of biodegradable polymer matrices (e.g. PLGA) and bioabsorbable composite filaments. There will be an investigation into new process methodologies for spool-fed 3D printing. Optimisation of material and structural design of orthopaedic implants produced via the new process methodologies will be carried out by means of multiscale modelling simulations. Finally the project will demonstrate the application potential of 3D printed biodegradable composites through the production of image-based patient-specific orthopaedic fixation plate and small-scale bone scaffold structures.

 

Host Academic: Madrid Institute of Advanced Studies (IMDEA), Madrid, Spain

Host Industry: ITA TextilTechnologieTransfer GmbH (ITA), Aachen, Germany

 

Lead Supervisors: Dr. Claudio Lopez  (IMDEA), Markus Beckmann (ITA).

 

For further details about this project please contact bioimplant@nuigalway.ie