The workshop at the Empa aims to bring together people involved in the field of medical implants, from the manufacturing/development until their clinical use. Through expert presentation and discussion rounds, different aspects of implant/devices corrosion related reliability/durability issues will be discussed. One focus will be on "invisible failures". In fact, current understanding of the material-biology interactions shows that macroscopic manifestations of implant and medical-device failure, such as fractures or the release of wear particles, are already documented. However, the underlying processes that lead to the formation of micro- and nanoscale corrosion products, ionic leaching (see figure), and their consequences remain poorly understood.
The European Federation of Corrosion working group on "Corrosion of Medical Implants and Devices organizing this event was created in response to the still limited understanding of how medical materials interact with biological matter, and to the growing number of reported failures, suggesting that the associated risks to material stability and function are sometimes significantly underestimated. New medical devices and materials entering clinical use also raise scientific questions regarding their chemical stability and biocompatibility.
Day 1 - 28.1.2027 (Swiss community + EFC international EFC related persons)
09.30 - 10.00 Participants registration
10.00 Opening
10.00 - 12.00 Presentations and Discussions
- Corrosion of Medical Implants and Devices: EFC WG Vision and Empa Dübendorf Bio Corrosion Activities - Dr. Patrik Schmutz, EFC WP chair, Empa
- Community Framework for Data-Driven Design of Biodegradable Implant Metals - Dr. Sviatlana, Lamaka, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon Geesthacht, Germany
- Corrosion of additive manufactured porous iron and PLA/iron composites - Prof. Guido Grundmeier; Paderborn University, Germany
12.00 - 13.30 Lunch
13.30 - 18.00 Interactive scientific workshop
13.30 - 14.30 Block 1 - From Clinical observation to mechanistic understanding
- Metal related failures in total hip and knee arthroplasty - Dr. Rihard Trebse, Valdotra Hospital, Slovenia
- Essure, a complex implanted device - Dr. Benoit Ter-Ovanessian, INSA Lyon, France
14.30 - 15.30 Block 2 - Invisible Failures: Clinical and Material Perspectives
- Metal allergies (and more) related to medical implants Dr. Carole Guillet, University Hospital Zürich
- Hidden Drivers of Biocorrosion: Uncovering Mechanistic Principles Behind Implant Degradation - Dr. Martina Cihova; Empa
15.30 - 16.00 Coffee break
16.00 - 17.00 Block 3 - Corrosion and reliability of implants with integrated electronics
- Metallic biomaterials: from corrosion control to biosensing - Dr. Fojt Jaroslav, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech republic
- Platinum neurostimulating electrodes - Dr. Jochen Kieninger, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Germany
17.00 - 18.00 Interactive Roundtables
Block 4a: Testing methodologies, standards, and round robin studies - Discussion leader: Dr. Sviatlana Lamaka
Block 4b: How to bring awareness and increase visibility - Discussion leader: Dr. Martina Cihova
Block 4c: White paper on key challenges in the field - Discussion leader: Dr. Patrik Schmutz
18.00 End Day 1
Day 2 – 29.01.2027 (on site and online participation possible)
09.00 - 10.40 Working Group Activities and Future Directions
- Advanced Bio tribocorrosion studies - Dr. Manel Rodriguez Ripoll, AC2T research, Austria
- Tailoring Ti6Al4V Surface Properties via Anodization Time: A Correlative Study of Oxide Chemistry and Corrosion Behavior - Prof. Branimir Grgur, University of Belgrade, Serbia (online)
- Effect of microstructure and superficial condition on corrosion of additively manufactured Ti6Al4V for biomedical purposes - Prof. Marina Cabrini, University of Bergamo, Italy
- Perspective discussion
10.40 - 11.00 Coffee break
11.00 - 12.00 EFC Working Group 2 General Assembly with participation of representative of the EFC member associations
12.00 Closing
Carrello
Svizzera
Germania
Austria
