Surface Technologies 2006 - NRC Workshops
7, 8, 14 and 21 November 2006

Information Session on Titanium Powder Injection Moulding for the Medical, Dental & Aerospace Fields
November 24, 2006

Pay Equity Settlement

PMRM 2007 - Polymeric Materials for Regenerative Medicine
Boucherville
April 2-4, 2007

CompMed - SSH Symposium on Computer Simulation in Medicine
Boucherville
May 16-18, 2007

MetFoam 2007 - 5th International Conference on Porous Metals and Metallic Foams
Montréal
September 5-7, 2007

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Biomedical Polymers Laboratories at the National Research Council's Industrial Materials Institute

On June 7, 2005, the President of the National Research Council of Canada inaugurated the Biomedical Polymers Laboratories at the Industrial Materials Institute, a major NRC investment in this emerging field. The infrastructure will provide the industry with facilities for developing and prototyping polymer-based medical devices as well as support the development and commercialisation of new technologies from NRC research.

Class 10,000 clean room
Class 100,000 clean room
Level 2 biosafety lab

The equipment and capabilities available in the infrastructure include:

Micro-blow moulding for fabrication and assembly of medical balloons
Medical grade extruder for fabrication of catheters/porous materials
Deployment device for physical simulation of vascular interventions
Plotter for fabrication of controlled 3D porous polymer structures
Optical coherence tomography for vascular imaging
Biorheometer for characterizing biological tissues, at 37^oC, in uniaxial, biaxial and compression modes
Mechanically loaded bioreactor for tissue engineering
Set-up for characterizing electrodeformable materials
Standard and inverted microscopy capabilities
Computer modeling capabilities for prediction of biomechanical behaviour

A technician prepares an angioplasty balloon using equipment at the NRC-IMI Biomedical Polymer Laboratory

Biological tissue mechanics

The laboratory currently supports three main research themes involving several NRC groups as well as a multitude of external partners:

1. Design of advanced balloon-catheter systems
2. Surgical simulation and intravascular imaging
3. Design of functional polymer scaffolds


3D Plotter	Medical balloon forming

The theme on design of advanced balloon-catheter systems aims to build on the available infrastructure, to work with industrial and medical partners on the development and commercialisation of specific novel devices. Balloon-catheter systems with specialized functions are targeted, including non-conventional dilatations, localized treatment and diagnostics.


Deformable biostructures	Cell growth on polymer scaffold

The theme on surgical simulation and intravascular imaging aims to develop software and imaging tools for planning of various medical interventions, such as angioplasty and neurosurgery. The Industrial Materials Institute works in partnership with the NRC’s Institute for Biodiagnostics in Winnipeg as well as medical partners such as Foothills Hospital, the McGill University Health Centre and the Montreal Heart Institute.

Simulation and design of deformable structures

Finally, the theme on design of functional polymer scaffolds aims to develop tools to prototype and optimize scaffold geometries and shapes for loaded-tissue engineering and drug/gene delivery in orthopaedics, cardiology and oncology applications. The Industrial Materials Institute works in partnership with the Biotechnology Research Institute, Sacré-Coeur Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital and the Montreal Jewish General Hospital.

For further information, please feel free to contact:

Robert DiRaddo Group Leader Simulation of Deformable Materials Modelling and Diagnostics Section Tel.: (450) 641-5064 Fax: (450) 641-5106 E-mail: Robert.Diraddo@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca
Ngoc Huynh, Eng., M.A.Sc., M.B.A. Business Development Officer Modelling and Diagnostics Section Tel.: (450) 641-5135 Fax: (450) 641-5106 E-mail : Ngoc.Huynh@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca

Last Update : 2006-08-07

Important Notices