Implants for joint replacement in Russia can now be made using their own technology. The first technological complex of laser cladding for the production of endoprostheses has been developed at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The installation is designed for mass production.
What exactly does the installation do
The development was presented by specialists from the Research Laboratory "Laser and Additive Technologies" of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.
The system is designed for applying a functional coating to cups and legs of hip implants. This is a key step that determines the quality and service life of prostheses.
The installation is focused on use in industry, that is, it can be implemented directly in production.
How it is arranged
The complex includes four laser sources and four technological tools that operate in a single circuit.
The equipment is designed for standard sizes of hip implant components. According to developers' estimates, such a system can provide up to 10% of the total consumption of endoprostheses in Russia.
According to Anatoly Popovich, Director of IMMiT and project manager, such developments are of strategic importance for industry and healthcare and allow the university to ensure technological leadership.
How the technology will be implemented
An important part of the project will be the transfer of competencies to the customer. Laboratory specialists will train employees to work with the equipment.
The program will include studying the device of the complex, mastering the control system and gaining practical operating skills.
As Mikhail Kuznetsov, head of the laboratory, noted, the team set the task of creating a full-fledged industrial complex that surpasses imported analogues in its characteristics.
According to him, the installation is designed to work in real production and should ensure technological sovereignty and Russia's leadership in medicine.