STTR Phase I: Innovative Expandable Dental Sealer

这个小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是为牙髓医生和普通牙医开发一种用于根管治疗的新型牙科封口器技术。由于根管系统的复杂性和不可接近性，导致65%的根管填充物失败。在根管治疗过程中使用的可膨胀牙密封器提供了一种有效的解决方案，通过防止泄漏来填充根管空间的间隙，使临床医生能够更轻松、更准确地执行手术。该项目的商业影响包括每年2230万根管治疗的潜在市场。拟议的创新支持增强患者安全，减少在牙医/牙髓医生办公室的时间，降低患者的成本，降低感染和再治疗的风险，并通过培训提高临床医生的能力。这个小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目将描述专利弹性体聚氨酯密封剂（EPS）的膨胀和其他性能。该项目将首先使用添加剂成分生成EPS的功能化和优化配方。该团队将进行体外测试，以评估材料的物理化学特性。最后，本研究将利用动物模型建立EPS的体内组织相容性，并检查其细胞毒性，这是临床评估和FDA注册前必须克服的关键障碍。这些研究将有助于开发一种全新的牙科封口器。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is in developing a novel dental sealer technology for root canal treatments for endodontists and general dentists. The complex and inaccessible nature of the root canal system causes 65% of root canal fillings to fail. Expandable dental sealers used during root canal treatments provide an effective solution by filling the gaps in the canal space by preventing leakage, enabling clinicians to perform the procedure with greater ease and accuracy. This project’s commercial impact includes an addressable market of 22.3 million root canal treatments annually. The proposed innovation supports enhanced patient safety, reduced time at the dentists'/endodontists' office and decreased costs for patients, reduced risk of infection and retreatment, and advanced capabilities of clinicians through training.This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will characterize the expansion and other properties of the patented elastomeric polyurethane sealer (EPS). The project will begin by generating a functionalized and optimized formula of the EPS using additive ingredients. The team will perform in vitro testing to evaluate the material’s physicochemical properties. Finally, the study will establish the in vivo histocompatibility of EPS using animal models and check its cytotoxicity, a key hurdle that must be overcome before clinical evaluation and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) registration. These studies will facilitate the development of an entirely new type of dental sealer.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.