Pore-free cleanliness – and still favourable
In order to manufacture implants in innovative ways, he initially developed a metal injection moulding (MIM) procedure with colleagues from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Applied Material Research (IFAM) in Bremen. This allows the implant and its microstructured, biocompatible surfaces, to be manufactured in “a single cast”. According to Bruinink, the aim of the project, financed by the Volkswagen Foundation, is to create surfaces that can be structured with (sub-)micrometer accuracy – a precision that has hardly been possible to date; it takes a considerable amount of money and effort to manufacture structures like this. During implant manufacture it is also important that no unwanted pores form on the surface, in which germs could hide. These can cause infections and chronic inflammation – with the possible consequence that the implant will have to be removed again. Bruinink is pleased with the new MIM method, since it has succeeded in creating a precisely structured, pore-free surface simply and cost-effectively.
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