Feasibility analysis of printing a drug-eluting flexible antibacterial mesh for treatment of post-surgical infections

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are caused by germs after surgery. Germs such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas can infect a surgical wound through various forms of contact, such as from the touch of a contaminated caregiver or surgical instrument, through germs in the air, or through germs that are already on or in your body and then spread into the wound. The development of an SSI leads to a substantial increase in the clinical and economic burden of surgery due to the direct costs incurred by prolonged hospitalization of the patient, diagnostic tests, and treatment. Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. has developed a proprietary controlled?release system that reduces the side effects of intravenous injection of antibiotics. In this work, will perform a feasibility study on the use of 3D printing to manufacture patient-specific meshes using Eupraxia’s formulation. To achieve this goal, we will perform a series of studies on the characterization of different formulations of Eupraxia’s polymer to determine the best formulation that is printable using extrusion-based printers. We will also fabricate a costume-made 3D printer with components that are compatible with the used materials.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mohsen Akbari

Student:

Partner:

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Victoria

Program: