Phase 1: Development of degradable and multimodal imageable microspheres for transfer to medical device industry

达尔豪斯大学的一组研究人员发现并设计了一种用于医学应用的新材料。这种新材料有可能为良性和恶性肿瘤提供高效、个性化、优化和微创治疗。这种材料的独特之处在于(i)它在x射线上是可见的，（ii）它能在人体内溶解。首先，在x射线上可见意味着当医生将材料放入病人体内时，他们将能够确认他们已经治疗了整个肿瘤，而不仅仅是肿瘤的一部分。其次，可降解意味着一旦这种材料治疗了肿瘤，它就会在体内消失而不会伤害病人，从而允许重复治疗以加强护理。研究小组现在正在申请资金，以(i)在临床前环境中证明材料的关键功能要求（即易用性和安全性），以及（ii）通过生成工程规范来保护发明，这些规范将巩固和加强专利，从而保护他们的发明。预计，如果该材料通过由这项研究补助金资助的关键测试，该技术将准备转让给一家加拿大制造公司，生产并在国内和全球市场上销售。

A team of researchers at Dalhousie University have discovered and engineered a new material for use in medical applications. This new material has the potential to provide highly effective, personalized, optimized, and minimally invasive treatment for benign and malignant tumors. The unique features of this material are that (i) it is visible on x-ray and (ii) it dissolves in the human body. Firstly, being visible on x-ray means that while to doctors are placing the material in the patient, they will be able to confirm that they have treated the full tumor, and not just a part of the tumor. Secondly, being degradable means that once the material has treated the tumor it will disappear in the body without harming the patient - allowing repeat treatments for enhanced care. The research team is now requesting funds to (i) demonstrate, in a pre-clinical setting, the critical functional requirements of the material (i.e. ease of use and safety) and (ii) protect the invention by generating engineering specifications that will underpin and strengthen the patent, which protects their invention. It is expected, that if the material passes the key tests funded by this research grant, that the technology would be ready to transfer to a Canadian manufacturing company to produce it for sale on domestic and global markets.