Open-cell foams: Development of novel, thermoplastic and biocompatible medical grade blends for the production of open-cell foams in an adapted form of thermoplastic foam injection molding

Open-pored foams offer excellent properties for permeation and storage of active ingredients, which can be used in medical technology in particular. The previous implementation of open-pored foams made of polyurethanes and other material combinations has proven to be disadvantageous.
The project aims to develop a thermoplastic system with process technology that can be produced completely open-pored, efficiently and automatically, is body-compatible and thus has ideal prerequisites for a wound dressing.

Project background

Open-cell foams are to be used as improved, complex wound dressings due to their large surface/volume ratio and semi-permeable properties.

Project objective

The aim of the project is to develop a biocompatible, open-pored and thermoplastic foam and the associated process technology for implementing a complex wound dressing.

Project procedure

The company Raumedic AG, the Chair of Medical Engineering Materials and Implants at the Technical University of Munich (MMI) and the Plastics Technology research department at Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences are directly involved in the project. In the project, Raumedic is focusing on the material development of a medical grade with integrated sensor technology and active ingredients as well as their detailed investigation, in particular with regard to ageing behavior, compatibility tests in accordance with EN ISO 10993 and testing of intelligent material properties.

In the course of the project, the Technical University of Munich is working on the biological-toxicological investigation of the materials and developing application-specific functional analyses such as in-vitro methods for evaluating aspects of the wound healing potential of the foams. Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences will focus on the new development of a process technology for physical thermoplastic foam injection molding for the production of completely open-cell foams.