ULTRASPINE: Ultrasound-Enabled Minimally Invasive Disc Replacement
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: Mechanical Engineering
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
Zapata-Cornelio F
(2017)
Methodology to Produce Specimen-Specific Models of Vertebrae: Application to Different Species
in Annals of Biomedical Engineering
Wilcox, RK
(2018)
Specimen-specific modelling as a pre-clinical evaluation tool.
Wilcox, RK
(2018)
The mechanics of musculoskeletal tissues and interventions.
Wijayathunga VN
(2019)
An In Vitro Study of the Intervertebral Disc Structure Using 3 T Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
in Spine
Warren JP
(2023)
Controlling the Self-Assembly and Material Properties of ß-Sheet Peptide Hydrogels by Modulating Intermolecular Interactions.
in Gels (Basel, Switzerland)
Warren JP
(2021)
Hydrodynamic Mixing Tunes the Stiffness of Proteoglycan-Mimicking Physical Hydrogels.
in Advanced healthcare materials
Sikora SN
(2018)
Examination of an in vitro methodology to evaluate the biomechanical performance of nucleus augmentation in axial compression.
in Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine
Robson Brown K
(2014)
Comparative finite-element analysis: a single computational modelling method can estimate the mechanical properties of porcine and human vertebrae.
in Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
Paverd C
(2019)
Passive acoustic mapping of extravasation following ultrasound-enhanced drug delivery.
in Physics in medicine and biology
| Description | New methodologies have been developed for testing medical devices for the spine to evaluate their time-dependent performance. These laboratory tests and computer simulations allow devices to be examined and optimised before they are taken to clinical trial. These methods focus on assessing minimally invasive treatments for the intervertebral discs (the soft tissues between the vertebrae); disc degeneration is one of the main causes of back pain. The methods have been used to evaluate hydrogels developed in this project as well as tissues treated through therapeutic ultrasound developed in a joint grant at the University of Oxford. The new hybrid peptide hydrogels were developed and evaluated in this project for intervertebral disc repair; these gels mimic the properties of the healthy tissue to draw in water and create a swelling pressure. The gels can be injected as liquids down very narrow gauge needles, reducing risk of damage to the surrounding tissue structures. We found the gels were able to restore healthy disc height and biomechanical performance in cyclic loading to the levels seen in healthy tissue. |
| Exploitation Route | The methods developed are being used to evaluate a new treatment for disc degeneration. The methods are being used both internally and with external partners. The hydrogels have been patented (granted in US and EU) and further tests are ongoing in an in vivo model (through additional proof of concept funding from Versus Arthritis and GrowMedTech) - if successful then commercial partners will be sought to develop the gels as a clinical product. |
| Sectors | Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | Biomaterials developed have been patented, follow on funding obtained for in vivo testing. Methods developed have been disseminated and now being applied to examine other treatments for spinal disc degeneration. Public engagement activities developed and used to demonstrate applications of engineering science to children, patients and general public. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |
| Description | Presented 'provocation' and participated in Wellcome Health Exchange - Wellcome Trust discussion on healthy aging research chaired by Eliza Manningham-Buller (Ruth Wilcox) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Description | Healthcare Technologies Programme Grant |
| Amount | £3,962,447 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/N02480X/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2016 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | Research England Grow MedTech Proof of Concept: POC 000077 |
| Amount | £79,993 (GBP) |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2019 |
| End | 05/2021 |
| Description | Versus Arthritis Proof of Concept Grant 22031 |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 22031 |
| Organisation | Versus Arthritis |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2018 |
| End | 10/2020 |
| Title | intervertebral disc mechanical testing to assess nucleus augmentation |
| Description | New method developed to biomechanically test in vitro intervertebral disc tissue for the examination of nucleus augmentation devices |
| Type Of Material | Model of mechanisms or symptoms - in vitro |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Outcomes from testing being used to inform and optimise the design of nucleus augmentation interventions internally and with external research groups. |
| Title | Bovine intervertebral disc mechanical characterisation dataset |
| Description | Combined experimental and computational study of mechanical behaviour of bovine intervertebral disc. Experimental data: photographic evidence of pre-strain in the disc (+ geometrical measurements); computational data: FE input models of bovine osteodiscs and reverse engineering script, model outputs; associated R, Python and matlab scripts |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Title | Data Associated with paper titled: Peptide:glycosaminoglycan hybrid hydrogels as an injectable intervention for spinal disc degeneration. |
| Description | Data Associated with paper titled: Peptide:glycosaminoglycan hybrid hydrogels as an injectable intervention for spinal disc degeneration. Data includes FTIR, TEM, optical micrographs, and processed numeric data used in the figures. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Database has been made openly available. It has been used internally by other researchers in the group and university. External access has not yet been cited. |
| URL | https://doi.org/10.5518/47 |
| Title | Data associated with 'Using inverse Finite Element analysis to identify spinal tissue behaviour in situ' |
| Description | |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | http://archive.researchdata.leeds.ac.uk/638/ |
| Title | Hydrodynamic mixing tunes the stiffness of proteoglycan-mimicking physical hydrogels |
| Description | Supplementary data associated with research paper: Hydrodynamic mixing tunes the stiffness of proteoglycan-mimicking physical hydrogels. Dataset comprised of rheological data for peptide: glycosaminoglycan (GAG) hydrogels; FT-IR data for peptide: GAG hydrogels dimensional analysis data for peptide: GAG hydrogels. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Dataset has enabled reuse of material for further research and training. |
| URL | https://archive.researchdata.leeds.ac.uk/880/ |
| Title | Mengoni and Wilcox Ovine FSU data |
| Description | 8 cervical functional spinal units from 5 ovine spines: CT scan images, mechanical compression (load, displacement, pressure and image information) and FE models |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Database released with paper to enable other researchers to access and compare data. Greater impact likely in future once data has been used. |
| URL | http://archive.researchdata.leeds.ac.uk/id/eprint/22 |
| Title | Ovine annulus fibrosus interlamellar material model calibration data set |
| Description | Experimental data: microscopy images and geometrical data of unloaded and radially loaded samples of ovine lumbar annulus fibrosus tissue; Computational data: input file and raw results of load/extension FE models built from the experimental data; Results data: values of calibrated interlamellar behaviour |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Data released to enable other researchers to apply or reuse for additional purposes. Great impact likely once data has been used and published. |
| URL | http://archive.researchdata.leeds.ac.uk/id/eprint/2 |
| Title | Supplementary data associated with research paper: Decellurised intervertebral discs: A potential replacement for degenerate human intervertebral discs |
| Description | Supplementary data associated with research paper: Decellurised intervertebral discs: A potential replacement for degenerate human intervertebral discs. Dataset comprised of histological images of bovine and human intervertebral disc (IVD) tissue regions; DNA and glycosaminoglycan assay data for bovine and human IVD tissue regions and biomechanical data for the compression testing of bovine IVDs. Date provided for cellular and decellularised samples. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | not yet any impact |
| URL | http://archive.researchdata.leeds.ac.uk/766/ |
| Description | Oxsonics |
| Organisation | OxSonics Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Development of IP of interest to company |
| Collaborator Contribution | Letter of support for translational funding application |
| Impact | Supported translational funding PoC application. NB Oxsonics subsequently formed Orthoson. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Title | NOVEL PEPTIDE COMPLEXES |
| Description | The invention relates to novel self-assembling peptide complexes comprising a charged peptide and a polysaccharide, methods of producing them and uses therefor. The novel self-assembling peptide complexes of the present invention have particular utility in the restoration of biomechanical or biochemical function of a variety of biological tissues, for example and without limitation, in degenerated spinal discs, osteoarthritic joints, damaged cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, tendons, dental, ophthalmic and cardiovascular and blood vessel tissues. The invention provides inter alia methods of repairing and or restoring biomechanical or biochemical function of biological tissues and scaffolds for the support of cell growth. |
| IP Reference | WO2014167310 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | Follow-on funding obtained. Commercialisation workshop held as a demonstrator for JRI Ltd and used to map routes for future commercialisation/impact. Further applications being explored through PhD projects. |
| Title | NOVEL PEPTIDE COMPLEXES |
| Description | The invention relates to novel self-assembling peptide complexes comprising a charged peptide and a polysaccharide, methods of producing them and uses therefor. The novel self-assembling peptide complexes of the present invention have particular utility in the restoration of biomechanical or biochemical function of a variety of biological tissues, for example and without limitation, in degenerated spinal discs, osteoarthritic joints, damaged cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, tendons, dental, ophthalmic and cardiovascular and blood vessel tissues. The invention provides inter alia methods of repairing and or restoring biomechanical or biochemical function of biological tissues and scaffolds for the support of cell growth. |
| IP Reference | US2016058871 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2016 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | Follow on funding obtained for first in vivo study |
| Title | 2DImage2Mesh by Mengoni, M. A Python code to generate quadrangular meshes on images |
| Description | 2DImage2Mesh, a python code to generate quadrangular meshes on images: conversion of triangular shells from scanIP to quadrangular plane stress or strain in Abaqus |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | Software used internally to accelerate process of finite element model generation. |
| URL | https://github.com/mengomarlene/2DImage2Mesh/tree/0.2 |
| Title | opti4Abq, by Mengoini M. A generic Python code to run Abaqus in an optimisation loop |
| Description | An optimisation method via scipy.optimize that runs on a set of Abaqus finite element models to minimise the difference (in a least square sense) between the FEA output and the a corresponding set of data |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | Method used extensively internally to derive tissue material parameters in specimen-specific finite element models of different tissues to match to corresponding experimental data. |
| URL | https://github.com/mengomarlene/opti4Abq/tree/0.2 |
| Description | CONFERENCE ABSTRACT - ICCB - VII International Conference on Computational Bioengineering (2017) Fernando Zapata Cornelio |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | • Zapata-Cornelio F.Y., Mengoni M., Wijayathunga V.N. & Wilcox R.K. (Sept 2017) The use of 3D in-vitro intervertebral disc bulge in the validation of specimen-specific finite element models. Proceedings of ICCB - VII International Conference on Computational Bioengineering, Compiègne, France |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | CONFERENCE ABSTRACT - Global Spine Congress, Milano, Italy (Oluwasegun Kayode) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | • Kayode O., Sikora S.N.F., Wilcox R.K. & Mengoni M. (May 2017) Characterisation of the annulus fibrosus in-vitro mechanical behaviour requires a specimen-specific approach. Proceedings of the Global Spine Congress, Milano, Italy |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | CONFERENCE ABSTRACT - ISB - XXVI Congress of the Int. Society of Biomechanics (Australia) Fernando Zapata Cornelio |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | • Zapata-Cornelio F.Y., Mengoni M., Wijayathunga V.N. & Wilcox R.K. (July 2017) A new methodology for the validation of in-silico intervertebral disc models using CT imaging under load. Proceedings of ISB - XXVI Congress of the Int. Society of Biomechanics, Brisbane, Australia |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | CONFERENCE ABSTRACT 2 - ICCB - VII International Conference on Computational Bioengineering (2017) Fernando Zapata Cornelio |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | • Zapata-Cornelio F.Y., Sikora S.N.F., Gregory D.E., Wilcox R.K. & Mengoni M. (Sept 2017) On measuring pre-strain and functional extrafibrillar behaviour of the annulus fibrosus to reverse-engineer its fibrous behaviour. Proceedings of ICCB - VII International Conference on Computational Bioengineering, Compiègne, France |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Exhibit at Big bang Fair |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Researchers developed 'We've got your back' stand to promote medical engineering to wider public. High levels of engagement from participants. >3000 visitors over course of the event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.thebigbangfair.co.uk |
| Description | Great Yorkshire Show |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Stand at Great Yorkshire Show showcasing research activities of group and their impact on healthcare. Visited by >4000 people over the course of the event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Great Yorkshire Show 11th - 13th July - Ruth Wilcox |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | iMBE regularly have an exhibit at the Great Yorkshire Show where the work conducted by all areas of the Institute is disseminated to the general public by displays, hands on models, computer screens and explanations by the participants.• Exhibit at Great Yorkshire Show, July 11-13 2017. Event attracts 130,000 with estimated 3,000 visitors to our exhibit which included 'build a knee' activity, cycling skeleton and examples of various medical devices for the knee. (organiser: Edwards; participating staff: Wilcox, Jennings, Jones, Liu) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Hosted laboratory visit for Leeds Biomedical Research Centre Patient Public Involvement group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Hosted a laboratory tour and series of talks from academic members of the Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering for members of the Leeds PPI group |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://youtu.be/cKfs50-NxJQ |
| Description | Invited Talk University of Iowa 2017 - Marlene Mengoni |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Capturing population variation in subject-specific FE models of the spine and the hip, U. Iowa, July 2017 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Invited presentation University of Zaragoza - Marlene Mengoni |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Direct-controlled validation: towards capturing population variation in subject-specific Finite Element models of the spine. U. Zaragoza, March 2017 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Invited talk 'On the concept of "context of use" in Finite Element models of the spine.' at U. Exeter by Marlene Mengoni |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar at University of Exeter to raise awareness of computational modelling methods and issues to wider technical audience |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Leeds Fesitval of Science and Be Curious Festival Leeds |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A number of activities were held during the 2016 Leeds Festival of Science including our Great Bones workshop and stands at the 'Be Curious' Festival. The Be Curious Festival is a free, interactive event suitable for everyone with an interest in health, wellbeing and the human body, held at the University of Leeds. It saw over 1000 members of the public attend, a third of them were young people and almost everyone rated the event as very good. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.stem.leeds.ac.uk/events/lfos/lfos-public-programme/becurious/ |
| Description | Local engagement activities |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Stands always very popular with large numbers of delegates attending and requests to hold follow-on activities with schools and exhibit at future events. Extremely positive feedback from attendees, teachers and parents, leading to increasing requests to provide exhibits for other events |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |
| Description | Otley Science Festival 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Hands-on display presented at public science fair by researchers (PhDs and academics), sparked questions about role of engineering in healthcare. Developed understnading of best approaches to communicate to younger audience to take forwards for future activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://otleysciencefestival.co.uk/festival/ |
| Description | POSTER - MEDE2017 (Seb Sikora) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Poster - Reducing variance of pre-clinical testing for inter-vertebral disc interventions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | POSTER MeDe 2017 - James Warren |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | • Development of a minimally invasive therapy for intervertebral disc degeneration using synthetic peptides. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Poster - MeDe 2017 - Marlene Mengoni |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | • in-silico evidence helps to understand variability in pre-clinical testing of spinal interventions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Royal Academy of Engineering Panel for Biomedical Engineering |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Event promoted collaboration and career development for early-career medical engineers with advice from expert mentors and funders. Feedback from delegates very positive with 100% rating the networking opportunities and quality of the speakers and mentors as good or excellent. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/reports/young-researchers-futures-meeting-orthopaedic |
| Description | Science for a Successful Nation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presented stand depicting our research highlights to illustrate the importance of sustained funding as part of the EPSRC Science for a Successful Nation event |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/newsevents/news/sciencesuccessfulnation/ |
| Description | U3A Harrogate 10th July 2017 - Ruth Wilcox |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | U3A Harrogate - explanation and dissemination of activities of the Institute of Medical & Biological Engineering |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |