AtraumaBioMat
In the project AtraumaBioMat an interdisciplinary consortium from Poland, Turkey and Austria is researching intrinsic overload protection for arterial clamps using the flexible design possibilities of 3D printing. The PCCL is supporting the project with the recently generated know-how in the design of flexible, adaptable lattice structures.
Project Partners
- JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Coordinator
- Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH
- Silesian University of Technology, Project coordination (Poland)
- CHIRSTOM Marcin i Marek Dyner s.c. (Poland)
- Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science of Polish Acad. of Science (Poland)
- Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa, Faculty of Science and Technology (Poland)
- Prof Zbigniew Religa Foundation of Cardiac Surgery Development (Poland)
- Kocaeli University (Türkei)
- DISTECH Disruptive Technologies GmbH
Motivation
The main objectives of the project are next generation surgical tools with overload-protection and stress-sensing to control pressure on tissues as basis for non-injurious grasping. Simultaneously, we follow the “make-surgery-sustainable” paradigm by including easy-to-clean materials and the design for re-use (>100 cycles cleaning & sterilization) and repair as alternative to current disposable tools in surgical work.
Primary field of our innovations are CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgeries (CVTS) with >>1 mln cases globally per year. State-of-the-art CardioVascular and Thoracic Clamping and Grasping Instruments (CVTCGI) are not real-time pressure-controlled devices; Consequently, almost all
vascular procedures bear the risk of excessive and uneven clamping/grasping forces. Differing hemodynamic parameters (blood pressure and vessel histology) of patients complicate surgeries, too. In general, vascular clamps are used to tightly block blood vessels to prevent bleeding – but with minimized damage during surgical application (= “atraumatic”). However, vascular clamps, which are currently available on the market, have limited ability to control the pressure force during surgical operations. In addition, the design of some tools makes the pressure distribution uneven along the entire length of the jaws. Relevant normative requirements are currently missing, which specify pressure force values for individual models of clamps.
Main Goals
- Intrinsic overload protection for surgical clamps
- Implemented haptic sensors for pressure indication
- Superhydrophobic easy-to-clean surfaces for sustainable surgery
- Multiple usability of the clamps through facilitated sterilization
- Replaceable wear parts for repairability
Objectives and Approach
The specific innovative objectives & ambitions in AtraumaBioMat are:
- Overload protection by soft lattice-based designs made by 3D-printing of biocompatible resins
- Haptic sensor feedback by functional-printed piezoelectric sensor arrays effectively transducing pressure to visualization electronics
- Local protection of tissue damage by appropriate soft coatings on / soft cover of clamping surfaces
- Easy-to-clean superhydrophobic fluoridised coatings on 3D full-surface with no environmental & cyto-toxicity by atmospheric plasma deposition as basis for
- “make surgery sustainable” goal: All materials/designs must be easy clean- & sterilisable post-surgery for high multiple use.
- Consideration of “design-to-repair” incl. testing for proofing safe use
“The aim of AtraumaBioMat is the development of surgical clamps with overload protection. This helps the surgeon during the operation and reduces the risk to the patient during the procedure.”
Funding Body
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) as part of the 2022 call for proposals of the FTI initiative “M-ERA.NET”. The program is managed by the FFG and further national funding agencies of the participating countries.
