Projects / Programmes
Multifunctional bioactive coatings on different substrates for biomedical applications
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.04.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Chemistry |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B000 |
Biomedical sciences |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.04 |
Natural Sciences |
Chemical sciences |
multilayer materials, multifunctional coatings, stainless steel, TiAlV, drug delivery, corrosion,
interaction studies, artificial hip
Researchers (32)
Organisations (4)
Abstract
As the world’s population increases and ages, there is a parallel increase in
the number of necessary medical procedures concerning bone related injuries, i.e.
artificial hip replacements. The proposed project is focused on the
development of novel bioactive coatings on medical grade stainless steel
that will improve biocompatibility, bioactivity, durability, and corrosion
resistance of this material. Medical grade stainless steel is still an important and
the cheapest base material for artificial hips. It will remain attractive and affordable
for the next couple of decades, due to its favourable characteristics, in terms of
material-human body compatibility. Together with the main partners in this project,
we have recently obtained promising results in the proposed field of research. This
was published as a preliminary study in the renowned journal Scientific Reports,
where we were able to develop the analytical tools to characterize this type of
coatings. This project will build directly on the foundation provided by the preliminary
study, and lead to the design of a far more complex and systematic approach
regarding the development of bioactive coatings on medical grade stainless steel
with the emphasis on manipulation of interaction phenomena between all interacting
components.
In the proposed project, we will prove the applicability of the novel developed
coatings in a simulated physiological environment. Currently ceramic-based
artificial hips are significantly more expensive compared to medical grade stainless
steel-based material. Considering the ageing population and the increasing
incidence of bone related diseases at a younger age, our coatings will also reduce
the possibility of repeated hip replacement surgical procedures by prolonging
the shelf-life of the current artificial hip solutions. Due to anatomical and
physiological limitations the hip replacement is possible to be repeated only once
more. After development of such coatings we will perform a fundamental study to
explain how these coatings work (e.g. adsorption/desorption phenomena,
study the controlled release of drugs that will be a part of the developed
coatings, schematically shown in Figure below) and interact with the
physiological environment (on human derived cells). Moreover, we will
investigate in detail how these novel coatings affect the corrosion of the medical
grade stainless steel, and use this knowledge to design coatings that will
improve the corrosion resistance of this material under physiological conditions.
The designed coatings might also have high potential to be used with the other
metallic systems for artificial hips.
Significance for science
The proposed project is in many ways innovative, building on and upgrading the existing knowledge, as well as providing completely novel solutions in regard of multifunctional coating preparation, achieving bioactivity and improved osteointegration of orthopaedic implants. Hitherto, to the best of our knowledge no similar systematic study has been published yet and therefore this work presents an original approach to a real and pressing scientific, clinical and industrial problem.
The scientific community will greatly benefit from such an approach and the generated knowledge, since we will provide a fully working platform capable to be used also for testing of other similar materials. The development of fundamental knowledge and the proposed inventions may even lead to new patents.
New knowledge will be directly transferred to bachelor, master and PhD students as well as to postdoctoral researchers. Some of the specific actions to be undertaken for the communication and dissemination are listed: i) participation at conferences and scientific meetings on the national, bilateral and international level related to the objectives of the present project, including a positive inclination towards disseminating the results to interested industrial partners, working in similar fields (medicine, chemistry, pharmacy and steel engineering), with whom we could jointly apply for future Horizon 2020 project (and others); ii) publication of scientific articles in highly ranked journals with a broad readership, as well as industrial related journals within the sectors that will be indirectly or consequently involved in the present project; iii) organizing workshops for the dissemination of the resulting technology with the participation of R&D centres from the business associations of the industrial sectors related to the project; iv) scientific networking in order to establish a broad scientific and business network in fields related to the project content.
In addition, the fundamental knowledge obtained in the course of the project will help to design and tune specific new natural substances for preparation of highly-functional surface coatings onto the most widely used materials for other medical devices, such as stents, as well as for other materials applicable in different human care and health segments. In addition, by usage of natural and sustainable raw materials, the strictest European Ecological and Safety Regulations will also be fulfilled.
Even though this is a fundamental kind of project, partners of the consortium are in contact with potential end-users, i.e. Slovenian stainless steel producers (Jesenice, Ravne, and Štore) and titanium-alloy producer Akrapovič. These companies are highly interested in new knowledge that will be developed in this project. Moreover, we are in close contact to Lima Corporate from Italy (international orthopaedic implant producer company) and they are also highly interested in products developed in the proposed project.
Significance for the country
The proposed project is in many ways innovative, building on and upgrading the existing knowledge, as well as providing completely novel solutions in regard of multifunctional coating preparation, achieving bioactivity and improved osteointegration of orthopaedic implants. Hitherto, to the best of our knowledge no similar systematic study has been published yet and therefore this work presents an original approach to a real and pressing scientific, clinical and industrial problem.
The scientific community will greatly benefit from such an approach and the generated knowledge, since we will provide a fully working platform capable to be used also for testing of other similar materials. The development of fundamental knowledge and the proposed inventions may even lead to new patents.
New knowledge will be directly transferred to bachelor, master and PhD students as well as to postdoctoral researchers. Some of the specific actions to be undertaken for the communication and dissemination are listed: i) participation at conferences and scientific meetings on the national, bilateral and international level related to the objectives of the present project, including a positive inclination towards disseminating the results to interested industrial partners, working in similar fields (medicine, chemistry, pharmacy and steel engineering), with whom we could jointly apply for future Horizon 2020 project (and others); ii) publication of scientific articles in highly ranked journals with a broad readership, as well as industrial related journals within the sectors that will be indirectly or consequently involved in the present project; iii) organizing workshops for the dissemination of the resulting technology with the participation of R&D centres from the business associations of the industrial sectors related to the project; iv) scientific networking in order to establish a broad scientific and business network in fields related to the project content.
In addition, the fundamental knowledge obtained in the course of the project will help to design and tune specific new natural substances for preparation of highly-functional surface coatings onto the most widely used materials for other medical devices, such as stents, as well as for other materials applicable in different human care and health segments. In addition, by usage of natural and sustainable raw materials, the strictest European Ecological and Safety Regulations will also be fulfilled.
Even though this is a fundamental kind of project, partners of the consortium are in contact with potential end-users, i.e. Slovenian stainless steel producers (Jesenice, Ravne, and Štore) and titanium-alloy producer Akrapovič. These companies are highly interested in new knowledge that will be developed in this project. Moreover, we are in close contact to Lima Corporate from Italy (international orthopaedic implant producer company) and they are also highly interested in products developed in the proposed project.
Most important scientific results
Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report
