3D-BioPerioDontis
Uni Systems participates in an EU-driven Project for the study and development of Bioresorbable 3D-printed scaffolds for personalised treatment of periodontitis. The project is implemented within the framework of the RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE Action and is co-financed by the European Union and national resources through the EP. Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship & Innovation (EPANEK) (project code: T2EDK-01641)
Scope of the Project
The 3D-BioPerioDontis project adopts innovative principles and approaches which extend beyond the current technological norm. The project aims at the development of know-how in complementary domains, thus leading to the development and production of innovative biomaterials and scaffolds for the personalised treatment of periodontitis. Those scaffolds will also function as the means for prolonged release of drugs.
3D-BioPerioDontis also seeks to utilise existing knowledge, experience and skills, necessary to achieve technological progress and resolve specific technical issues, so as to make the production of such medical aids feasible and economically viable.
Goals
The 3D-bioperiodontis project aims to develop 3D scaffolds that will be designed, produced and characterised, at laboratory level, as drugs-delivery systems and coating on 3D periodontitis scaffolds. The sterilisation process will also be studied. The products, the software that will arise and the innovations that will be developed during the project will be financially and technically assessed. At the same time, a plan will be examined for the exploitation and dissemination of the main results, as well as the management of business risks (EU7). The agencies involved will investigate which results of the project show/apply such innovations that deserve to be protected and possibility exploited in the future.
Methodology
The project methodology includes the preparation of seven (7) separate Work Units (WUs), clearly defined as Objectives or Deliverables, which WUs respond to specific technological and scientific challenges.
The management and coordination of the project, as well as the necessary actions to publicise and disseminate the results will take place throughout the project.
Initially, within the framework of EU1 actions, the development of a complete, targeted and unified database is proposed which will include elements necessary for the execution of the project and will be shared and enriched with data from all the participating agencies within the project.
In EE2, patients with periodontitis will be selected, after clinical evaluation, and cone beam tomography (CBCT) data will be collected, to be processed in EE3 for the construction of 3D models of the hard tissues in the mouth-bones system. This will allow the development of an automated methodology and interface for the integrated 3D imaging of hard tissues and a storage system using CBCT data.
At the same time, the project will select and evaluate suitable bioabsorbable polymers, bioactive molecules and their combinations to be used in 3D periodontitis scaffolds (EE4).
In EE5, a methodology for 3D design, visualisation and storage of periodontitis scaffolds will be developed and relevant software will be created and a process will be established for the 3D printing of periodontitis. Finally, 3D scaffolds will be printed for multiple periodontitis cases, using CBCT data to be collected from patients.