Press / Newsroom

Titanium hip implants do not last forever — they gradually loosen, sooner or later losing their hold on the bone as it recedes over time. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP have been working alongside the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB and the Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation CMI to develop a tissue adhesive that can help avoid early replacement of prostheses in the future. The biomimetic, antimicrobial material is applied to the titanium surface of the implant, which then connects with the bone and naturally adheres to the bone. The key here is that the tissue adhesive, which emulates the adhesive property of mussels, can be printed — even onto curves and uneven surfaces.

Damp, cold conditions are the enemy of wind power. If a layer of ice forms on the rotor blades, this can result in rotational imbalance and, hence, increased wear. In such cases, the turbines often have to be shut down for several days, leading to massive losses for the operators due to the pause in electricity production. Now, for the first time, a Fraunhofer team has succeeded in using drones to protect rotor blades against ice. The new technique has been developed jointly by experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in the project “TURBO — Temporary coating by means of drones.”

Steel production causes significant emissions of carbon dioxide. To decarbonize steel production and its high carbon dioxide emissions, Fraunhofer researchers, TS ELINO GmbH and Salzgitter AG are working on converting an existing steel mill to climate-neutral production methods. The aim is to produce steel by the direct reduction of iron ore with hydrogen, which would completely replace harmful coke as a reducing agent. The hydrogen required for this method is produced using electrolysis processes with electricity generated from renewable energy sources. Overall, this could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 97 percent. The decarbonization of the steel industry would therefore contribute significantly to protecting the climate.

The number of incidents involving damaged electronic devices on board aircraft has increased in recent years. Most of these are caused by lithium-ion batteries, which are found in laptops and other portable electronic devices. In the LOKI-PED project, the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI and the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP are collaborating with Airbus to assess the fire and smoke risks associated with lithium-ion batteries in cockpits and cabins. The objective is to make it safer to use portable devices on board.

When a natural disaster such as an earthquake occurs, every minute counts. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are often used to assist the search for survivors as they can provide an initial overview of difficult-to-reach areas and help to detect victims — provided they are visible. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE are now looking to close a gap in the provision of disaster management services with a new technology: In the future, drones equipped with microphone arrays will be able to precisely locate cries for help and other acoustic signals from victims from the air and supply information about their location to the rescue teams. This significantly increases the chances of a rapid rescue for victims who cannot be spotted by camera.

A delegation from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (German Electron Synchrotron, DESY), the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (Helmholtz Center Hereon) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Hamburg today. With this declaration of intent, the four research institutions have confirmed their plans to work together, pooling their respective expertise and infrastructure to create added value for research and industry.

Particularly when it comes to medication or medical devices sold online, end-users often wonder whether these are real or fake. The SmartID counterfeit-proof barcode system means anyone can use a smartphone to check a product is genuine, provided the manufacturer uses SmartID. It can be authenticated without connecting to a database. SmartID has been developed by a consortium of Fraunhofer institutes. The result of a three-year project, they will exhibit a demonstration version of their SmartID at the joint Fraunhofer booth (Hall 3, Booth E74) at MEDICA 2023 in Düsseldorf from November 13 to 16, 2023.

When carrying out root canal treatment procedures, dentists need to insert a file deep into the root canal to remove the inflamed tissue. The rotating file often gets jammed and must be cleaned regularly. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS have developed a piezoceramic stack actuator that overlays the rotating motion with a vibrating motion. The file does not get jammed as often, meaning that procedures on patients can be completed faster. This technology is also useful for other medical applications, for example in diagnostics and cancer treatment. Fraunhofer IKTS will present a demonstrator at the joint Fraunhofer booth at the COMPAMED medical engineering trade show in Düsseldorf (Hall 8a, Booth G10).

Patients requiring artificial hip and knee replacements are increasingly younger. Because they are more physically active than older patients, the risk of requiring a second operation is considerably higher. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA are addressing this problem with a new software platform for virtual clinical in silico studies. With the help of computer-assisted functional tests and inno-vative human modeling, implants and orthoses can be designed specifically for an individual — minimizing later complications. The workflow-based simulation environment for virtual product development and research in orthopedics will be presented at the joint Fraunhofer booth (Hall 3, Booth E74) at MEDICA, taking place in Düsseldorf between November 13 and 16, 2023.

mRNA-based vaccines and gene/cell therapeutics open up new possibilities for medical practitioners in the fight against cancer and infectious or hereditary diseases. However, manufacturing these innovative pharmaceuticals is an expensive and time-consuming process. The Fraunhofer RNAuto lighthouse project is aiming to use automated production technologies to facilitate cost-effective, high-volume production of mRNA-based drugs and medicines for personalized therapies which can then be made available at an affordable price. From November 13 to 16, researchers from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will, for the first time, present a screening system demonstrator for the automated encapsulation of mRNA in nanotransporters at COMPAMED in Düsseldorf (Hall 8a, Booth G10).