Bengaluru, November 10
Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and deep tech hardware startup, Prayasta, on Wednesday, launched a 3D printer for implant-grade silicon and will jointly work to accelerate the translation of customizable soft tissue implants from research to commercialization.
The startup claimed that it has developed the world’s first 3D printer for implant-grade silicone, which has been installed at the Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, IISc. “We are excited to join hands with Prayasta as it offers a production-ready 3D printing technology for elastomers such as silicone, and can positively impact the quality of healthcare delivery,” said Navakanta Bhat, Dean, Division of Interdisciplinary Sciences, IISc.
Currently, the company is running animal studies on 3D silicon implants, after which it will enter the clinical trial. Apart from implants, they have also developed prostheses that are external to the body and expect to commercialise the same in the next six months, said Vikas Garg, co-founder, Prayasta.
According to the company, unlike regular silicon implants, the implants it develops can be customised based on size, weight, stiffness, touch, and more.
“We have developed a design methodology called novel internal architecture through which we can make breast implants rupture-proof, thus eliminating the risk of leakage and post-implantation displacements. This technology can be extended to develop other soft tissue implants, such as nasal, chin, malar, and lip tracheobronchial, as well as external prostheses for soft tissues,” said Shilpi Sen, co-founder, Prayasta. The Bengaluru-based startup was launched in 2017 and has received grants of over ₹1 crore in the last five years from various agencies.