SUMMARY
As tissue engineering develops into the future of treatments requiring tissue replacement, new materials are needed to function as bioscaffolds. Lehigh University has pioneered methods for fabricating nano-macro porous bioactive glass for bone replacement. These materials are monolithic rigid structures suitable for many bone replacement conditions. In certain situations, a flexible bioscaffold is preferred, and it will be even better if it is nanoporous. This invention is the first technology that fulfills this need. Experiments indicate that this material could be useful for soft tissue repair such as muscles as well as hard tissue applications.
Lehigh TechID# 091410-01
THE MARKET
While tissue scaffold engineering for bone and cartilage repair may not be a new development, there is still an immediate window of opportunity for such technologies. This is due not only to the size of the global bone replacement material market, which is around $2B as of 2010, but also due to the aging baby-boomer population and the need for more innovative and effective bone replacement and grafting techniques. [1]
[1] “Bioactive Technologies for Bone Replacement,” Medical Devices Today web site, http://www.medicaldevicestoday.com/2010/06/bioactive-technologies-for-bone-replacement.html, accessed September 2, 2010.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Lehigh University is interested in identifying an industry partner focused on application specific projects.