Developing the next generation of Collagen Membranes using Electrophoretic Deposition

A new collagen membrane technology has been developed which has the potential to allow for a range of benefits, including the ability to make much larger collagen membranes than those currently available, where membranes can be made to any desired thickness and adopt any desired shape. The membranes are resistant to suture pull-out and can sustain live cells for regenerative applications.
Conventional membrane fabrication methods use decellularised animal tissue which limits their size, requiring surgeons to use multiple membranes and preventing their use in larger area wounds such as burns or diabetic ulcers. Additionally, the decellularisation process can damage the structure of the membrane, or fail to remove all traces of the animal, leading to inflammation and rejection.
The new technology uses a modified electrophoretic deposition technique to allow for rapid fabrication and precise control over a range of important membrane parameters including the size, thickness and shape. This is achieved by manipulating the inherently charged nature of biomolecules in suspension using electric fields. This technique can be applied to fabricate a wide variety of membranes tailored towards specific clinical needs and can create complex and targeted products.
This project aims to expand on this research and develop the new collagen membrane technology with a wide range of applications.