SBIR Phase II: Innovations in Nanoscale Manufacturing: Nanomaterial Composites for Dental Restorations

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目寻求开发纳米制造方法，以生产用于牙科的纳米复合材料。纳米复合材料在牙科领域显示出巨大的前景，但由于缺乏可靠的制造方法来大规模制备，其应用受到限制。这个第二阶段的项目寻求开发一种新的、高效和低成本的方法来制造这些材料，使它们能够从纳米级的单个组件组装起来。这一过程产生了高度均匀的纳米材料，并增加了功能。这些材料同时具有多种性能增强，例如辐射不透明度(辅助诊断能力)、高强度和耐用性，以及改进的光学性能。这项技术可以被进一步利用，将市场机会扩大到成本限制了先进纳米复合材料采用的相邻领域。该项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是提供纳米材料复合材料，以改善牙齿修复和生物医学植入物的功能。预计这项技术将促进医疗植入材料更好地融入人体，提高耐用性和使用寿命，并帮助诊断，最终降低修订程序的比率并改善患者结果。在牙科修复剂的背景下，这些材料提供了更好的美观性，增强了诊断的放射不透明度，以及最先进的强度和耐用性。拟议产品的开发和成熟将对牙科行业产生重大影响，使牙医能够更好地诊断复发的龋齿，这将改善临床结果，并最终减少临床修订/更换程序的发生。与新工艺相关的成本节约将使普通公众更容易获得最高质量的牙科修复。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to develop nanomanufacturing methods for producing nanocomposites for use in dentistry. Nanocomposites have shown great promise in dentistry but have limited applications because of the lack of reliable manufacturing methods to prepare them at scale. This Phase II project seeks to develop a new, highly-efficient and low-cost approach to the manufacture of these materials that allows their assembly from the individual components at the nanoscale. The process produces highly homogeneous nanomaterials with increased functionality. These materials simultaneously have multiple property enhancements such as radiopacity (aiding diagnostic capabilities), high strength and durability, and improved optical properties. This technology can be further leveraged to expand market opportunities into adjacent segments where cost constraints have limited the adoption of advanced nanocomposites.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to provide nanomaterial composites that improve the function of dental restorations and of biomedical implants. The technology is anticipated to facilitate medical implant materials that better integrate into the human body, improve durability and use-life, and aid diagnosis, ultimately reducing the rate of revision procedures and improving patient outcomes. In the context of dental restoratives, these materials offer improved aesthetics, enhanced radiopacity for diagnostics, and state-of-the art strength and durability. The development and maturation of the proposed products will have significant impact upon the dental industry, allowing dentists to better diagnose recurrent caries, which will improve clinical outcomes and ultimately reduce the occurrence of clinical revision/replacement procedures. The cost savings associated with the new process will increase access of the general public to the highest quality dental restorations.