Periodic Report Summary - SYNTHAFLEECE (Creation of a synthetic, absorbable, haemostatic fleece for delivery of active agents into healing wounds)
The SYNTHAFLEECE project proposes to develop a synthetic, absorbable and haemostatic fleece for delivery of active agents into healing wounds. The technical work over the first 12-month period (09/01/2008 - 08/31/2009) is spread over the tasks in work packages 1 - 10.
These tasks cover the characterisation and the specification of the non-woven medical device, the material development, material characterisation, prototype integration and sterilisation of the produced fleece.
Due to an intensive market research and derivation of customer-supplier requirements, the optimal settings for a totally synthetic fleece material were found. The polymer material was produced and characterised in terms of degradability and process ability. The manufacturing process of the fleece was investigated and a melt-blown process was found to be working best for the non-woven fleece. Different basic weights of fleece were produced and started to be characterised.
Therefore, the overall project progress has been good. A first polymer material has been found to assure a production process for continuous fleece support. The polymer material has been tested for short-term degradability and showed a degradation time of two to four weeks. However, there had been some changes in the experimental setup due to requirements for in-vivo testing. After production of the fleece with different basic weights, a first setup for proper sterilisation had taken place. The in-vivo and in-vitro testing schedule has been adapted to better reflect the predicted timescales of the tasks based on the knowledge that has been gained during the first part of the project.
The partners delivered a set of sterilised fleece samples for testing in order to establish necessary parameters of the polymer material requirements.
All meetings have been well attended and the partners have been actively involved in the research and development work.
Two attractive lines of exploitation have been identified with two major players in their filed being interested in marketing future products along these two different exploitation routes.
The project has set up a web-server for document sharing and the combined use of an online administrative tool for the partners (password protected). Web presence will be soon established.
These tasks cover the characterisation and the specification of the non-woven medical device, the material development, material characterisation, prototype integration and sterilisation of the produced fleece.
Due to an intensive market research and derivation of customer-supplier requirements, the optimal settings for a totally synthetic fleece material were found. The polymer material was produced and characterised in terms of degradability and process ability. The manufacturing process of the fleece was investigated and a melt-blown process was found to be working best for the non-woven fleece. Different basic weights of fleece were produced and started to be characterised.
Therefore, the overall project progress has been good. A first polymer material has been found to assure a production process for continuous fleece support. The polymer material has been tested for short-term degradability and showed a degradation time of two to four weeks. However, there had been some changes in the experimental setup due to requirements for in-vivo testing. After production of the fleece with different basic weights, a first setup for proper sterilisation had taken place. The in-vivo and in-vitro testing schedule has been adapted to better reflect the predicted timescales of the tasks based on the knowledge that has been gained during the first part of the project.
The partners delivered a set of sterilised fleece samples for testing in order to establish necessary parameters of the polymer material requirements.
All meetings have been well attended and the partners have been actively involved in the research and development work.
Two attractive lines of exploitation have been identified with two major players in their filed being interested in marketing future products along these two different exploitation routes.
The project has set up a web-server for document sharing and the combined use of an online administrative tool for the partners (password protected). Web presence will be soon established.