Aseptic Surgery Forum Addresses Development of Antimicrobial Coatings for Implants

The first Aseptic Surgery Forum, which is scheduled later this month at the Cité des Sciences in Paris, France, will include a session devoted to innovative antimicrobial implant coatings that may be of interest to medtech engineers and manufacturers. The session titled Antimicrobial Coatings: Prospects will be held on 26 March, the first day of the two-day event, and will be chaired by Thomas Bauer, surgeon at Hôpital Ambroise Paré in Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

During the 45-minute session, Yves-Alain Ratron, R&D Director at Tornier (Saint-Ismier, France), which designs and manufactures orthopaedic products, will present a paper on the development of surgical implants with embedded antimicrobials. Antibiotics are currently combined with implants for the treatment of infections: orthopaedic cements containing gentamicine are one example. Several new technologies at various stages of development will reduce the risk of implant-related infections. Ratron will discuss some of these techniques, which include silver-based coatings, the use of nanotechnology to functionalise implant surfaces, and engineering bioresorbable polymers and antibiotics to achieve the sustained release of active ingredients. He will also address how regulatory procedures are slowing development because the products are treated as pharmaceuticals.

The two other speakers at this session are Véronique Migonney from the Laboratoire de Biomatériaux et Polymères de Spécialité, Université Paris 13, addressing the use of bioactive surfaces to control bacterial adhesion and Javad Parvizi, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, USA, discussing self-protective smart implants.

The antimicrobials track is scheduled for 9:15 to 10 AM on 26 March. The presentations will be in English and French with simultaneous translations available. An exhibition showcasing technologies for the prevention and treatment of infections runs parallel to the conference on both days.

Tags: Antimicrobial, Aseptic Surgery Forum, Véronique Migonney, Yves-Alain Ratron