19 February 2021
Binaural audio recording
Binaural audio recording, editing and post-production
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19 February 2021
Production of digital interactive games
Production of digital interactive games
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19 February 2021
360º Video and 3D audio recording and post-production
360 video recording, editing and post-production services.
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23 September 2020
Professor Elvira Fortunato is the winner of the Horizon Impact Award 2020
Elvira Fortunato, is the winner of the European prize Horizon Impact Award 2020. INVISIBLE, the only Portuguese project among the 10 finalists, was distinguished today during the event “European Research and Innovation Days”.
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![BACKGROUND The congenital malformations, arthritis, osteoporosis, traumatic accidents, spinal deformities, among others are the basis for need bone and cartilage replacements. The chronic pain, inflammation or discomfort of these diseases translates into a significant impact on patients’ and hospital treatments costs. There is yet no solution that meets the structural and functional requirements of definitive implants. In the case of trauma, for example, treatment often consists of bone joining or even implants in a nonpermanent situation, that is, requiring more than one surgical intervention which causes pain and discomfort to the patient besides the costs involved. Therefore, the development of low cost, durable, compatible and functional solutions is needed. Namely bone substitutes that can be perfectly integrated, morphologically and anatomically biocompatible, with complex structure and a material that mimics native bone and encourages cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. Ideally a bone substitute has original three-dimensional anatomical shape the trabecular zone is dense and has Young’s modulus in the range of 0.01-0.5 GPa and compressive strength values of 4-12 MPa while the cortical region is porous with compressive strength values in the range 130-225 MPa and modulus Young from 3-30GPa. The development of bone implants represents an area of medicine attracting growing interest in recent years. Most used implants are made of noble metals such as titanium. This material, although with good biocompatibility, strength and durability characteristics, faces often body rejection problems. To avoid that, the metal is coated with a biocompatible ceramic material (zirconia, hydroxyapatite, etc.). Despite their good performance, titanium implants have a much higher Young’s modulus than bone, which leads to localized stress phenomena, increase of osteoblast activity and may lead to periprosthetic osteolysis and consequent implant failure. The 3D printing techniques provided opportunities for the development of customized pieces. Ceramics, plastics and metals are all possible to printing in three dimensions by additive or subtractive techniques. In particular subtractive techniques are already used to perform ceramic teeth for dentistry. A piece of dense ceramic material is mechanically dug until the desired form is obtained. However, the dense ceramic implant behaves most likely the metal implants as it doesn’t allow the body fluids to flow through it. Compared to other techniques, the great advantage of pastes extrusion technique is the facility to mimic the graded porosity of implants while a specific design according to patient needs, reaching the mechanical properties close to those of the native bone, as well as their adequate, porosity, permeability to cells, biocompatibility and durability. The goal of the NOVA researchers is to develop low cost production ceramic implants, permanent, conformal and compatible with the specific needs of patients, mimicking resistance and bioactivity. This approach was achieved in preliminary results focused in 3D printed pieces of ceramics powders, achieving mechanical properties in the range of cortical bone, the most demanding in terms of mechanical strength. Indeed, the cortical mechanical resistance values were achieved just printing pieces layer-by-layer with pastes made with inorganic and organic compounds. The required biocompatibility and osteointegration was also tested in-vivo. TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW The obtained background data show a real possibility to implement this technology in the veterinary area special to horses, dogs and cats in a first phase. This will open then possibilities and verification to further human applications. From left to right: Sample draw; printed samples after sintering for compression test; geometry and dimensions to tension tests; samples geometry for flexure tests. The mechanical strength obtained from axial compression, the tension and the flexure tests are summarized in table 1, where the obtained values are compared to the trabecular and cortical bone values obtained from literature. Comparison of mechanical teste with bone (values from literature).[1][2] Density and porosity compared to bone. The in-vitro tests were made with SAOS 2 cellules tinted for alkaline phosphatase with naphthol AS-MX phosphate and fast red violet and images of cell proliferation obtained for day 5 (left image) and 11 day (right image) of culture are shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: Image of SAOS 2 cells on the top a PIC sample for day 5 (left) and day 11 (right). The graph shows the evolution of cells growth along 9 days. The in-vivo tests were performed in rabbit being implanted two different samples S1 and S2 and the radiography images obtained after 2, 4 and 12 weeks are shown in Figure 3. Figure 3: Image of the implant (left). The graph represents the % of the bone-to-implant contact (BIC) evolution for two different composition samples. There was no adverse response, either local or systemic. No clinical symptoms of exaggerated inflammation, edema or infection were identified. No extensive bone resorption of the surrounding bone tissue is identified STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) is 4. BENEFITS The main advantage of this technology is to allow the printing of a customized bone according to the needs of replacement. It enables the production of bone with gradient of density, in the exterior, properties similar to cortical bone, and, in the interior, density and properties of trabecular bone. Adding to that, the good osteointegration of the material, will allow a giant step towards bone’s mimicking especially for implants in animals, as a first step. Avoiding the need for a second operation for removing metallic parts, or due to rejection problems. APPLICATIONS The potential market is the implants in animals, horses, dogs and cats. There is a huge market for pets, which will allow also to consolidate the technology before it can be implemented in humans. OPPORTUNITY The NOVA team is looking for a co-development partner or a licensee for the implementation of this technology. IP STATUS Know-how based SEEKING Development partner Licensing](https://novainnovation.unl.pt/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/tech_image_2.7ccfbcf1.jpg)
28 August 2020
3D printing of bone-like structures for bone replacement in animals
3D printable ceramics compatible with cortical bones which have demonstrated good osseointegration in in vivo tests (more…)
17 July 2020
Start-up of former NOVA student wins Santander Global Contest with smart box to preserve food
Mater Dynamics, a start-up founded by Tiago Cunha Reis, a former student at NOVA, developed the Stamply Box, a smart box to conserve perishable food and protect it from contamination, that was distinguished today as one of the winners of Santander X - Tomorrow Challenge. (more…)
07 July 2020
Green plastic antibodies
Green plastic antibodies developed using a green technology, supercritical carbon dioxide for a wide range of applications (more…)
18 May 2020
Phenylpropanoid saccharide esters, methods and uses thereof
Phenylpropanoid saccharide esters with different degrees and place of substitution, and their use as antimicrobial and cytotoxic agents (more…)
30 March 2020
Menthol-fatty acids eutectic systems as anti-bacterial agents and wound healing enhancers
A composition of menthol: fatty acids, in the appropriate molar ratio to form a deep eutectic system, presenting antibacterial properties. (more…)
17 March 2020
EK reactor – electrodialytic technology as a pre-treatment for wastewater reuse applications
Improved electrodialytic technology for materials and irrigation sector application and hydrogen production for clean energy production (more…)
22 January 2020
Web-based video annotation tool in real-time
A web-based tool to annotate videos involving human motion with multiple annotation track timelines, including text, images and touch-pen. (more…)
22 January 2020
Limonene ibuprofen therapeutic deep eutectic system for Anticancer Therapy
A composition of limonene and ibuprofen, in the appropriate molar ratio to form a deep eutectic system. (more…)
22 January 2020
Zero curvature polyhedric roofing
A single zero curvature polyhedric surface for roofing structure and weather protection. (more…)
22 January 2020
Transmedia knowledge-base for Performing Arts: a dynamic archive for creative processes
A digital and unique open-ended multimodal knowledge-base to document, annotate and support the creation of performing arts. (more…)
22 January 2020
Green syngas from carbon dioxide
A concept of electrodes based on non-noble metals that can produce syngas with a tuneable composition. (more…)
22 January 2020
Dendritic cell-based therapies for cancer treatment
Viable dendritic cells with up to twice as capacity to boost antigen-specific anti-tumour and anti-viral activity (more…)
22 January 2020
Low energy electron interactions with gas-phase molecules for pharmaceutical applications
A trochoidal electron monochromator coupled with an orthogonal reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer to monitor LEE interactions. (more…)