BRE2-CT94-0557

Proposal

Duration

11 Research Centres

16 Industries

This concerted action consisted in establishing and developing collaboration between laboratories for research in progress or initiated under this program with private or national founds.

The main objectives of the project were:

• To integrate the know-how, expertise, projects, regulations etc. which attain to each specific institutions (universities, industries, research centers) in the field of biomaterials, so to bring to a specific and productive feedback capable to influence on one side the industries and on the other side the scientific groups which can draw benefits from the knowledge of needs and trends of the market.
• To undertake a study of the feasibility of the projects, the pertinent priorities and the compatibility to transfer knowledge and human resources between centers and industries. Ideas often travel with people. Thus, the interaction and exchange of people were among the aims of this project.

Specific programs were finalized to concertate actions in the major areas of biomaterials science:

- Practical and theoretical aspects of the anchorage implants

- Haemocompatibility materials and related topics

- Treatments for improving biocompatibility

- Biomaterials for dental restoration and substitution

- Biomaterials performance database

The attention was focused on the development of processes for the preparation of new materials or the modification of already available ones, on the set-up and comparison of characterisation techniques -also using round-robin procedures-, on the investigation and assessment of biocompatibility tests.

In addition most of the activities of the Concerted Action were finalized to improve the technical information necessary for the industry and to address the academic research to specific objectives of commercial interest.

Project achievements

• Collaborations for the study of bone adhesives and mechanical and structural properties of ewe cancellous bone were activated.

• Platelet response, activation of coagulation system and complement activation of PVC, special PVC and EVA were performed for a comparative evaluation and ranking of the already existing methods and to have ideas for improving blood contacting materials and developing possibly new testing methods.

• Treatment of metallic surfaces and silicone rubber with new antibacterial synthetized polymers were carried out in order to render the materials resistant to bacterial infection.

• Same partners studied the fluoride release and caries inhibition, UV-visible curing polymerisation kinetics and shrinkage and mechanical properties of dental materials

• At the end of the Concerted Action a database consisting of sample entries from 12 of the selected biomaterials and with citations covering the whole range of the tests was ready.

• A pleasing aspect of the activities of the Concerted Action was that the interweaving of links and contacts arisen were considered of mutual benefit by nearly all concerned partners and most of the participants intended to continue to collaborate in the future together.