In collaboration with Bether Encapsulates and UMCG research department of Biomedical Engineering (prof. dr. Patrick van Rijn) PolyVation develops a polymer coating that is suitable for implants containing stabilized gas bubbles loaded with antibiotics. The stabilized gas bubbles provide the ability to turn local delivery of antibiotics 'ON' (meaning a full dose of antibiotic is released) and 'OFF' (meaning no antibiotic is released). Stabilized gas bubbles are created in such a way that no antibiotic leaks through the gaseous shell layer (the 'OFF' state). The gas bubbles can be broken with the help of medical ultrasound, so that the encapsulated antibiotic is immediately released (the 'ON' state). Curious how that looks like, then check out this awesome video.
The collaborative development is sponsored by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) coordinated by the SNN Northern Netherlands Collaboration with support from the Municipality and the Province of Groningen. The collaboration is a fruit of the Personalized Implants ecosystem that strives for efficiency and effectiveness in transforming the entire production value chain for personalized implants.