Roughly one year ago, the Just Transition Fund program IMPACT-Implants started. Regional partners from industry, research and healthcare embarked into a 3-year journey to optimize biomaterials and workflows for implant design to innovate the next generation of individualized 3D-designed devices, including implants for complex bone defects and fractures on knees, wrists, jaws and the airway. The partners includes the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG), represented by 9 academic and clinical departments, in collaboration with the MetaMechanics group of the ENTEG Institute of the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering of the University of Groningen, and regional companies WiTEC Innovating Together, Bether Encapsulates, BAAT Medical and the non-subsidize company PolyVation. The UMCG Innovation Center supported the initiation of the project and is involved in the program management.
The program leader, Dr. Joep Kraeima, Associate professor, Technical Physician Specialist, dpt. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Head 3DLab UMCG summarizes the vision in a sentence: “The aim is to provide personalised solutions from head-to-toe and in the entire north of the Netherlands. This project is an example of what the province of Groningen and the North of the Netherlands has to offer in terms of state-of-the-art innovative healthcare solutions.”
You can hear directly from the program leader in the video above.
iMPaCT-implants has successfully shaped and started six interconnected research projects, each addressing critical aspects of medical implant innovation including regulatory aspects, applicability, new technical development and further business potential. All projects have started in 2023 and are running smoothly.
Curious to see what the project are about directly from the project leaders
Here below you find an overview of the projects and you can hear directly from the project leaders on their ambitions and expected outcomes.
P1: New generation of (jaw) implants
This project aims to go through the entire workflow from the scanning of a patient to the placement of the (jaw) implant and its evaluation according to the highest quality level.
Project leader: Dr. Nick Assink
Partners: UMCG 3DLab, Maxillofacial and Oral Department, BAAT Medical and WITEC Innovating Together
P2: Tailor-made implant for the treatment of complex bone fractures in seriously injured accident victims
The project project aims to go through the entire workflow from the scanning of a patient to the placement of the (jaw) implant and its evaluation according to the highest quality level.
Project leader: Dr. Frank Ijpma, Traumasurgeon, UMCG
Partners: UMCG 3DLab, Traumasurgery, BAAT Medical and WITEC Innovating Together
P3: Personalized resection and reconstruction in bone tumor
This project aims to go through the entire workflow from the scanning of a patient to the placement of the (jaw) implant and its evaluation according to the highest quality level.
Project leader: Prof. dr. Paul Jutte, Surgeon, Head of Dept. Orthopedics, UMCG
Partners: UMCG 3DLab, Orthopedics, Traumasurgery
P4: 3D design and production of personalized medical devices for patients with airway diseases
The aim of the project is to realize innovative, individualized medical devices for patients with respiratory problems using 3D technology.
Project leader: Prof. dr. Gyuri Halmos, Ear, Nose and Throat, UMCG
Partners: UMCG Ear, Nose and Throat Department, 3DLab and Advanced Production Engineering, Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen
P5: Personalized triggered release of antimicrobials
The main objective of this project is to coat central venous catheters with a coating that can release antimicrobials on demand when an infection of the catheter occurs. This would potentially avert the need to change the catheter, and decrease costs, risk of thrombosis, and risk of short and long term vessel damage.
Project leader: Dr. Patrick van Rijn, Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology, UMCG
Partners: UMCG Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology, Radiology, BetherEncapsulates and Polyvation
P6: Smart patient-specific implants that prevent bone resorption
The project aims to develop a computationally efficient framework that can be used in clinical practice to generate patient-specific implants by introducing fine-tuned porosity in clinically approved materials that results in “architected” implants.
Project leader: Dr. Anastasiia O. Krushynska, ENTEG, Faculty of Science and Engineering, RUG
Partners: RUG, UMCG 3D Lab
Want to know more about IMPACT-implants? Would you like to connect to one of the partners? Write to us at [email protected] and keep an eye on our website for news and upcoming events impactimplants.nl
IMPACT-implants is co-financed by the Just Transition Fund with The Just Transition Fund provides essential support, advancing the green and sustainable development of the Drenthe, Groningen, and Fryslân Provinces, the Municipality of Emmen, and the Northern Labour Market regions. The fund is co-financed by the European Union and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and is made available by the regional funding agency Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland (SNN), with support from the Province and Municipality of Groningen. The total projects amounts to € 7.314.798,10 with 50% JTF subsidy.
