Ellis Developments Limited

Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Through Stitching

We are currently carrying out work on through stitching pre-impregnated carbon fibre for composites. This has long been considered almost impossible, but we are achieving exciting results on 6 mm thick lay-ups, and usually use PBO as a through stitching material, which has better moisture relations than Kevlar, although are currently examining other materials. We have also been successful with Kevlar and glass. For further details contact us, but clicking here will provide more information on through-thickness stitching,

Julian Ellis will be delighted to hear from you. Telephone on +44 (0) 1636  812100

email: info@ellisdev.co.uk We are based at The Stables, Hall Farm, Kirklington, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG22 8NN,, United Kingdom

Spider-like Silks for Surgical Implants

Health Technology Devices Programme Project 231

Synopsis  

Our collaboration is addressing the clinical need to develop sophisticated resorbable sutures to improve current surgical procedure and patient satisfaction particularly in the field of internal suturing.

The project builds on ongoing collaborative work between Oxford Biomaterials Limited, Oxford University, Pearsalls Limited and Ellis Developments Limited. We are developing a suture thread from Oxford Biomaterials' remarkable fibre, Spidrex® which has mechanical properties similar to spider’s silk. Further, it provides an excellent substrate for mammalian cell adhesion, while sequence characteristics make it chemically malleable and initial trials show that it is biocompatible and can be rendered pyrogen-free. We have evidence that like spider silk and unlike conventional medical silk, it will be resorbable over a period of months. Spidrex® fibres are being braided into a range of suture threads by Pearsalls, who have over a century of expertise in this area and the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement. Our suture will provide surgeons with a mechanically reliable means of wound closure without the necessity of a follow up intervention for suture removal. Professor Norman Williams, an eminent abdominal surgeon with an interest in new materials, and Dr. Mike Grahn of Queen Mary’s University, London, will be consulted on all aspects of suture design. The world market for a resorbable suture is estimated at $100 million, as concerns over prion disease from collagen-based sutures and adverse patient reactions from PLLA sutures have resulted in product withdrawal.

Our sutures will conform to the NHS plan which emphasizes improving patient satisfaction and increasing efficiency in the healthcare system. Further, the Foresight Programme has criticised the lack of new materials specifically produced for the surgical implant market, and it is anticipated that if Spidrex® is successful as a suture material, it will provide a generic material for the development of other highly novel, slowly resorbable implantable devices. The potential saving to the NHS is best measured in healthcare professionals’ time, and hospital bed occupancy. Our devices would effectively reduce the number of surgical procedures and decrease patient recovery time.

Collaborators  

·  Oxford Biomaterials Ltd

·  University of Oxford

·  Pearsalls Ltd

·  Ellis Developments Ltd

·  Queen Mary University of London

Grant Awarded   £107,314

Duration   2 years