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Medical Materials and Medical Implant DesignPolymer engineering, additive manufacturing, cell-based medical engineering, IoT and materials, MedTech OneWorld initiative

n In 2018 several forward-looking projects were established. The founding of the MedTech OneWorld initiative, in which the internationalization activities of the chair in teaching and research are bundled, was of particular significance. International R&D groups were set up in Singapore and Ethiopia. Another highlight was the successful spin-off of KUMOVIS GmbH, winner of the competition, ‘Münchener Businessplan Wettbewerb 2018’.

In 2018, the chair was again significantly involved in the design of the Master’s programme in Medical Technology and Engineering. In addition, the chair taught the basics of plastics technology in lectures, seminars and internships.

The focus of research & development in 2018 continued to be on medical plastics engineering techno logy. In addition to working on existing projects, five new projects were acquired in 2018.

The current MedTech Team (Photo: Tobias Hase)

Electronic components that are to be integrated into plastic parts using processes suitable for mass production (Photo: Tobias Hase)

IoT and PlasticsCoordinator: Dipl.-Ing. Valerie Werner

SmartMold: Integration of IoT Electronics in Plastic Parts (Funding: Internal; Leader: Dipl.-Ing. Valerie Werner)Within the thematic focus ‘Digitale Gesundheit und Medizin’ of the Zentrum Digitalisierung Bayern, the chair coordinates the Community of Practice ‘IoT & Werkstoffe’. In 2018, the foundations were laid for the creation of a ZIM cooperative network with eight industrial and academic network partners, in which R&D projects for the realization of smart biomedical plastic products are to be carried out from 2019.

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Medical Materials and Medical Implant Design

AntiMik2: Antimicrobial Plastics Based on TiO2

(Funding: BMWi; Leader: Theresa Fischer, M.Sc.)Surfaces in medical facilities are always considered to be con-taminated by microbes. These surface pathogens often form biofilms in which microorganisms stabilize each other and thus make decontami-nation more difficult. The resulting contaminations are further spread through contact between the hands of hospital

staff and surfaces which leads to hospital infections. Antimicrobial polymers can be used in order to prevent the transmission of germs via surfaces. This project focuses on the development of a permanently antimicrobial sili-cone elastomer as an overlay material for relevant contact surfaces in medical areas.

Plastics EngineeringCoordinator: Dipl.-Ing. Matthias Zeppenfeld

BioPolFol: Antimicrobial Plastics Based on Electrets(Funding: BMWi; Leader: Markus Ahrens, M.Sc.)

Plasma treatment of a polymer surface to generate electrets (Photo: Tobias Hase)

Agar plate with grown bacteria colonies to assess antimicrobial polymer compounds

Cell-based Medical EngineeringCoordinator: Dr. Markus Eblenkamp

Miniaturized flow chamber with optimized flow conditions for dynamic cultivation of living cells to be produced by additive manufacturing

Lab 4.0: Smart Bioreactors for Cell-based Therapies (Funding: StMWi; Leader: Richard Schmid, M.Sc.)Cell-based methods offer fascinating new therapeutic possibilities (‘healing with cells’). The goal of the project

is the development of miniaturized, mobile, intelligent systems for the cultivation and transport of therapeutic biological samples. The highly function-integrated plastic systems will be equipped with a wide range of sensors and digital, cloud-enabled interfaces that allow continuous process control and online process monitoring over the entire cultivation time.

Studies show that around 11 million tons of food are disposed of as waste in Germany every year. The aim is therefore to extend the shelf life of food. Plastic packaging plays a major role in this, with bioplastics becoming the focus of interest. Through certain modifications a charge change on the plastic surface can be achieved, so that electrets are produced. Electrets are materials that can store oriented electrical dipoles or an excessive electrical charge for a certain period of time and can also exert an antimicrobial effect. The aim of the BioPolFol project is to develop electrets with antimicrobial properties on the basis of various bioplastics by means of surface treat-ment.

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Medical Materials and Medical Implant Design

CONNECT: Minimally Invasive Implant for the Connection of Intestinal Ends (Anastomosis)

(Funding: DFG; Leader: Stefanie Ficht, M.Sc.)Using additive manufacturing, a degradable implant is developed with which the intestinal ends, after partial intestinal resections, can be surgically connected in a minimally invasive procedure.

RapidNAM: Automated Production of Palatal Plates for the Treatment of Cleft Lip and Palate(Funding: Zeidler-Forschungs-Stiftung, Leader: Franz Bauer, M.Sc.)Using additive manufacturing and digital techniques, a system for generating individ-ualized palatal plates for early childhood therapy of cleft lip palates was developed.

The quality of the filaments as semi-finished products has a decisive influence on the quality of the FDM 3D printing process and the properties of the resulting parts. In the project filAMent, plastics relevant to medical technology are systematically processed as FDM filaments, evaluated with regard to their printability and further optimized using additives.

APROV RB: Development of a Realistic Surgical Phantom for Minimally Invasive Surgery(Funding: Zeidler-Forschungs-Stiftung; Leader: Sebastian Pammer, M.Sc.)

Additive Plastics ProcessingCoordinator: Stefan Leonhardt, M.Sc.

filAMent: High Performance Filaments for Additive Manufacturing (Funding: Internal; Leader: Fabian Jodeit, M.Sc.)

Computer-assisted fabrication of individual palatal plates

Conventional anastomo-sis using a hand suture

Anatomically realistic form of the pancreas (left) with an operable cast (right)

High-precision filament extrusion line (Photo: Tobias Hase)

Using additive manufacturing, an abdominal phantom was developed which is characterized by a previously unat-tained reality of the intraoperative situation. It represents an excellent exercise model for surgeons, which can also be used to simulate patient-specific surgical conditions in preparation for surgery.

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Medical Materials and Medical Implant Design

New Frontiers in Biomedical Additive Manufacturing, Singapore

As an initiator, the chair, in cooperation with TUM Asia, NUS and NAMIC (National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center), organized the networking seminar ‘New Frontiers in Biomedical Additive Manufacturing’ in

Symposium on Medical Plastics Engineering, Singapore

Congress Zukunftsrat der Bayerischen Wirtschaft, Munich

Events

The specific aspects of plastics technology for the manu-facture of medical products was the focus of the sym-posium and was elaborated by experts from renowned institutions. In addition, the symposium was to serve as the kick-off event for a permanent joint initiative and formation of international cooperation clusters on medical plastics engineering in Singapore.

On 16 July 2018, this year’s congress of the Zukunftsrat der Bayerischen Wirtschaft on the topic of ‘health and medicine’ took place. The chair presented its teaching and research activities in the field of additive manufacturing, cell-based medical engineering and the internationaliza-tion initiative MedTech OneWorld.

Singapore on 6 February 2018. It was possible to bring together a cross-section of the Singaporean and German players in additive manufacturing (academic institutions, AM companies, clusters and funding organizations) and thus lay the foundations for joint international R&D projects to be implemented in 2019.

President Wolfgang A. Herrmann visits the MedTech OneWorld booth

MedTech OneWorldCoordinator: Fabian Jodeit, M.Sc.; Dr. Markus Eblenkamp

Meeting of the initiative MedTech OneWorld (Photo: Andreas Gebert)

The MedTech OneWorld initiative was founded to bundle and strategically align the chair’s international projects. Special attention is paid to developing countries. The aim is to implement high-tech medical engineering solutions in emerging regions. In Singapore and Addis Ababa (Ethio-pia) the basis for joint research labs was laid. Furthermore, the student research group ‘MedTech OneWorld Students’ has developed from this commitment and currently has around 30 active members.

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Medical Materials and Medical Implant Design

Entrepreneurship – From Bench to Market and Bedside

KUMOVIS team after winning the Münchener Businessplan Wettbewerb

System for automatic handling of samples in pathology

Centrifuge for fully automatic preparation of

blood derivatives

IMPACT Platform for Autologous Cell TherapiesThe use of blood derivatives, e.g. platelet-rich plasma (PRP), to support the healing processes of injuries and

surgical interventions is becom-ing increasingly important. Based on the developments of previous years, it was possible to bring a system for the fully automatic production of PRP and other autologous cell therapy derivatives to market maturity in 2018 via Plas-

maconcept AG with the support of our chair.

inveox GmbHWithin the framework of an EXIST company founder grant and development cooperation, the chair supported the further development of inveox. The aim of its technology is to automate pathological processes in order to increase the efficiency of the processes and, in particular, to make them safer and the diagnoses more reliable for the benefit of patients.

KUMOVIS GmbHThis spin-off of the chair (Miriam Haerst, Stefan Leon-hardt, Alexander Henhammer, Sebastian Pammer and Stefan Fischer) has won the competition, ‘Münchner Businessplan Wettbewerb 2018’. KUMOVIS is developing a printer technology for processing high-performance pol-ymers such as PEEK for medical applications. The team and the first concepts emerged from a project seminar of our chair. In 2018 the developments and the business concept were driven forward in the context of a success-fully acquired EXIST transfer of research grant.

Vocational Training

Training in precision mechanics (Photo: Tobias Hase)

In 2018, the chair under the direction of Mr. Uli Ebner continued its intensive commitment to vocational training. Currently, six apprentices are being trained in precision mechanics.

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Medical Materials and Medical Implant Design

Prof. Dr. Tim C. Lüth

Dr. Markus Eblenkamp

Contactwww.medtech.mw.tum.demarkus.eblenkamp@tum.dePhone +49.89 289.16700

ManagementProf. Dr. Tim C. LüthDr. Markus Eblenkamp

AdministrationSusanne Wiedl

Research ScientistsMarkus Ahrens, M.Sc.Franz Bauer, M.Sc.Sarah Burkhardt, M.Sc.Katharina Düregger, M.Sc.Theresa Fischer, M.Sc.Stefan Fischer, M.Sc.Johannes Gattinger, M.Sc.Dr.-Ing. Miriam HaerstAlexander Henhammer, M.Sc.Fabian Jodeit, M.Sc.Valerie Köhler, M.Sc.Stefan Leonhardt, M.Sc.Sebastian Pammer, M.Sc.Tim Scherzer, M.Sc.Richard Schmid, M.Sc.Dipl.-Ing. Valerie WernerDipl.-Ing. Matthias Zeppenfeld

Technical StaffUli Ebner (Master)Ilse SchunnFlorian HuberGeorg LerchlSahel YusofzaiFabian HüttingerLisa Mayer

Research Focus■n Medical materials■n Polymer technology■n Machine and process technology■n Cell-based medical engineering■n Implantology

Competence■n Polymer processing■n Additive manufacturing■n Materials testing, incl. biocompatibility■n Bioreactor designing■n Blood processing

Infrastructure■n Technical lab (CNC milling machine, water jet cutting, etc.)

■n Bio lab (biocompatibility and sterility testing)

■n Polymer lab (injection molding, extrusion, compounding, testing)

■n 3D lab (DLP, FLM, multijet printing)■n Electronic lab (anechoic chamber, micrograph analysis, etc.)

Courses■n Introduction in Medical and Polymer Technology

■n Biocompatible Materials■n Plastics and Plastic Processing■n Trends in Medical Engineering■n Vascular Systems

Selected Publications 2018■n Bauer, F. X.; Heinrich, V.; Grill, F. D.; Wölfle, F.; Hedderich, D. M.; Rau, A.; Wolff, K.-D.; M., Ritschl L.; Loeffelbein, D. J.: Establishment of a finite element model of a neonate’s skull to evaluate the stress pattern distribution resulting during nasoalveolar molding therapy of cleft lip and palate patients. Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery 46 (4), 2018, 660-667

■n Düregger, Katharina; Trik, Sina; Leon-hardt, Stefan; Eblenkamp, Markus: Additive-manufactured microporous polymer membranes for biomedical in vitro applications. Journal of Bio-materials Applications 33 (1), 2018, 116-126

■n Grill, Florian D; Ritschl, Lucas M; Dikel, Hannes; Rau, Andrea; Roth, Maximilian; Eblenkamp, Markus; Wolff, Klaus-Dietrich; Loeffelbein, Denys J; Bauer, Franz X: Facilitating CAD/CAM nasoalveolar molding therapy with a novel click-in system for nasal stents ensuring a quick and user-friendly chairside nasal stent exchange. Scientific Reports 8 (1), 2018

■n Schmid, R.; Tarau, I.-S.; Rossi, A.; Leon hardt, S.; Schwarz, T.; Schuerlein, S.; Lotz, C.; Hansmann, J.: In Vivo-Like Culture Conditions in a Bioreactor Facilitate Improved Tissue Quality in Corneal Storage. Biotechnology Journal 13 (1), 2018, 1700344

■n Werner, V.; Eblenkamp, M.: Bio kom-pa tible Integration von IoT-Elektronik in Kunststoffbauteile. Extractables & Leachables, VDI (White Paper), 2018