FASTIC – Femtosecond-pulsed-laser Augment/bioglass Sintering Technique for Implant Customisation

This project brings together a consortium of complementary academic and commercial organisations, including: specialists in ultra-fast lasers, materials and orthopaedic implants. The aim is to develop new technology to allow surgeons to customise joint replacements at the time of surgery on the rare occasions when there is significant bone loss either from a failed implant that needs to be revised or from bone cancer. The technology will involve hand held lasers and new orthopaedic biomaterials tuned to be laser melted without raising the temperature of the surrounding bone. The technology developed during this project has the potential to transform treatment of these complex cases and has application in other fields requiring rapid maufacturing without raising temperatures.