As part of an Industrial Collective Research (IGF) project, a team from Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) has developed a method for producing precisely fitting implants for patients using weaving machines. The process chain implemented by the two graduate engineers Dr. Ronny Brünler and Philipp Schegner is fully digital, automated and fast, and also incurs only a fraction of the previous manufacturing costs. With their project, Brünler and Schegner were among the three finalists for the AiF Otto von Guericke Prize this year.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system are still the most common cause of death in Germany. For example, aneurysms, i.e. balloon-like bulges in blood vessels, can rupture and cause strokes. Aneurysms are treated with artificial blood vessels made of plastic in combination with stabilizing wire rings. These so-called stent grafts are made almost entirely by hand; their production is time-consuming and expensive. Biological heart valves from pigs or cattle are also sewn onto a support structure by hand with around 1,200 stitches. A single stitch often takes minutes to plan under a magnifying glass or even a microscope.
A team from Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) has now developed an effective alternative to the previous standard methods as part of an Industrial Collective Research (IGF) project: The two graduate engineers Dr. Ronny Brünler and Philipp Schegner are having precisely fitting implants for patients produced by weaving machines. Brünler and Schegner took part in the AiF Otto von Guericke Prize competition with their project. The prize is awarded once a year for outstanding achievements in the field of IGF and is endowed with 10,000 euros. The pre-competitive IGF is organized in the innovation network of the AiF and its 100 research associations and is publicly funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).
The results of the nominated IGF project, which was coordinated by AiF member Forschungskuratorium Textil e.V. (FKT), enable highly cost-efficient product development and flexible, customized production. "We generate a 3D model from computer tomography data, which is further developed in several steps so that we can ultimately transfer it as machine-readable code into a conventional weaving machine," says Brünler, explaining the new process. "This allows us to quickly implement customized, complex geometries," adds his colleague Schegner.
"The results of the Dresden team are a major step forward in many respects," emphasizes Key Account Manager Daniel Gehendges from Mageba International GmbH. The company was involved as an industry partner in the project support committee for the project that received the award today. "They enable better patient care, taking into account important aspects such as sustainability and resource efficiency, and at the same time hold enormous potential for further fields of application in our company's weaving machine sector," says Gehendges.
Johannes Diebel, Head of Research at the FKT research association, emphasizes the diversity of the fields of application. "The most important area is undoubtedly medicine, where we can expect considerable savings in the healthcare system thanks to better and more cost-effective implants. The project results can also be used across industries for the development of lightweight structures for better resource efficiency," Diebel is convinced.
Source: TU Dresden
