<p>Personalised soft tissue implants, including for breasts, could gain ground with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)’s endorsement of a 3D printer for implant-grade silicone developed by Bengaluru-based startup Prayasta.</p>.<p>The specialised printer, Silimac — housed at the Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering at the IISc — generates 3D-printed implants that could be personalised for shape, size, contour, weight and touch, the startup said on Wednesday.</p>.<p>Prayasta, co-founded by Vikas Garg and Shilpi Sen in 2017, has adopted 3D printing because conventional printers cannot handle implant-ready silicone. The startup said its design methodology made breast implants rupture-proof, suturable, and ruled out leakage and other complications.</p>.<p>“With the implants, we are looking at two to three years for commercialisation of the technology. For other applications, including prostheses, it will take less than a year,” Garg told <em><span class="italic">DH</span></em>. The technology has potential applications in nasal, tracheobronchial, oesophageal, ear, lip and chin implants.</p>.<p>Garg made the argument for personalised implants by underlining three concerns associated with conventional methods — post-implant asymmetry between body parts, mismatch between the patient’s anatomy and the available solution, and the ineffectiveness of standard solutions for children.</p>.<p>Kaushik Chatterjee, associate professor, Department of Materials Engineering, IISc, said the indigenously developed technology was significant to India where high-end implants are being extensively imported and affordability remains a concern. The IISc’s upcoming medical school also offers context to the partnership in terms of the printer’s possibilities with other materials.</p>.<p>The partnership is aimed at fast-tracked testing of 3D printability of novel materials and marketability of the technology. Chatterjee said the availability of the platform on campus meant access for students to a high-end technology and an opportunity for the institution to work on a project that has an immediate impact on the society.</p>.<p>“Right now, we are talking about breast implants. Tomorrow, this could be about a car sensor or an aerospace application,” he said.</p>.<p>The technology is in the animal-studies phase and the request for regulatory approvals will coincide with the clinical trials. The startup has obtained patents in India and the US for its technology in manufacturing prostheses.</p>
<p>Personalised soft tissue implants, including for breasts, could gain ground with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)’s endorsement of a 3D printer for implant-grade silicone developed by Bengaluru-based startup Prayasta.</p>.<p>The specialised printer, Silimac — housed at the Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering at the IISc — generates 3D-printed implants that could be personalised for shape, size, contour, weight and touch, the startup said on Wednesday.</p>.<p>Prayasta, co-founded by Vikas Garg and Shilpi Sen in 2017, has adopted 3D printing because conventional printers cannot handle implant-ready silicone. The startup said its design methodology made breast implants rupture-proof, suturable, and ruled out leakage and other complications.</p>.<p>“With the implants, we are looking at two to three years for commercialisation of the technology. For other applications, including prostheses, it will take less than a year,” Garg told <em><span class="italic">DH</span></em>. The technology has potential applications in nasal, tracheobronchial, oesophageal, ear, lip and chin implants.</p>.<p>Garg made the argument for personalised implants by underlining three concerns associated with conventional methods — post-implant asymmetry between body parts, mismatch between the patient’s anatomy and the available solution, and the ineffectiveness of standard solutions for children.</p>.<p>Kaushik Chatterjee, associate professor, Department of Materials Engineering, IISc, said the indigenously developed technology was significant to India where high-end implants are being extensively imported and affordability remains a concern. The IISc’s upcoming medical school also offers context to the partnership in terms of the printer’s possibilities with other materials.</p>.<p>The partnership is aimed at fast-tracked testing of 3D printability of novel materials and marketability of the technology. Chatterjee said the availability of the platform on campus meant access for students to a high-end technology and an opportunity for the institution to work on a project that has an immediate impact on the society.</p>.<p>“Right now, we are talking about breast implants. Tomorrow, this could be about a car sensor or an aerospace application,” he said.</p>.<p>The technology is in the animal-studies phase and the request for regulatory approvals will coincide with the clinical trials. The startup has obtained patents in India and the US for its technology in manufacturing prostheses.</p>
