Annual Report 2016 - Mechanical Engineering

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196 Medical and Polymer Engineering
Medical and Polymer Engineering
Medical and polymer engineering, additive manufacturing, cell-based medical engineering
n The Institute of Medical and Polymer Engineering deals with research
and teaching in the field of medical materials and their processing. The
development of medical plastics with biocompatible and bioactive prop-
erties is of particular importance. The Institute is a major contributor to the
teaching of the Master’s program in Medical Engineering.
The institute was founded in 2000 by Prof.
Dr. Dr. Erich Wintermantel. Since then the
focus has been set on the development
of biocompatible materials and process
technologies. After 16 years as the direc-
tor of the institute, Prof. Wintermantel left
the TUM on April 1st 2016. Since then the
institute has been headed by Prof. Lüth
and Dr. Eblenkamp.
In 2016 funding for several new research
projects were acquired: The ‘ AntiMic’
project develops innovative plastics with
antimicrobial effects. The ‘TheverTec’
project deals with the realization of
polymeric tooth coverings. A highlight
was the successful acquisition of EXIST
Forschungstransfer Funding by the Med-
Tech team AMmedical, which provides the
chair with four new positions in the field of
polymeric additive manufacturing.
Research Example: Additive Manufacturing
of Systems for Cell-based Medical Engineering
Additive manufacturing enables new pos-
sibilities to produce systems for cell-
based medical engineering. The main
advantages include functional integration
(sensors and actors), complex miniatur-
ized designs as well as high material and
cost savings. However, a fundamental
requirement is the development of
biocompatible materials for additive man-
ufacturing. In collaboration with an indus-
Prof. Dr. Tim C. Lüth
(interim)
Phone +49.89.289.16753
Contact
trial partner a new printable biocompatible
material was developed and evaluated for
the production of innovative bioreactors.
The material was tested for biological
compatibility (cytotoxicity, genotoxicity/
mutagenicity, hemocompatibility) with
excellent results and was successfully
used to create a first printed bioreactor to
store corneal tissue until transplantation.
3D-printed bioreactor for tissue
cultivation (MedTech)
Cultivated cornea tissue in the
3D-printed bioreactor (MedTech)
Research Example: SmartMold – Assembly-free Integration
of IoT Components into Medical Plastic Products
In 2016 the institute was involved in the
Zentrum Digitalisierung Bayern (ZD.B) and
co-founded the community of practice ‘IoT
and Materials’. In this context, the institute
explores the possibilities for the destruc-
tion-free integration of IoT components in
medical plastic parts without assembly. In
cooperation with the TUM Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering the
influence of electromagnetic transmission
behavior by medically relevant plastics as
well as its modification by the design of
additively manufactured inner structures of
plastic parts is considered.
Analysis of the influence of electromagnetic transmis-
sion behavior by plastics within an anechoic chamber
Micrograph analysis of polymer
embedded electronic parts