The invention
The MaltaHip implant was engineered from first principles to provide a hip joint prosthesis with enhanced lifespan and functionality.
Novelty
The solid engineering behind MaltaHip provides a prosthesis which exhibits drastically reduced wear, enables a wider range of movement, permits effortless assembly, reduces the risk of dislocation, comprises clinically used materials and allows a routine hip replacement procedure. More information can be found in this flyer.
Medical device manufacturers, specifilay hip implants.
MaltaHip is made of FDA approved polymers and metals that are commonly used in clinical practice. The novel hip prosthesis has been subjected to wear testing in accordance to ISO 14242-1 at EndoLab 庐 Germany (https://www.endolab.org) and to a test operation on Thiel-embalmed cadaver by Orthopaedic Surgeons from Mater Dei Teaching Hospital at the University of Malta Cadaver Lab. The Orthopaedic Surgeons noted that our hip prosthesis was easy to implant with existing tools and once implanted, appeared to be very stable with no impingement in a very wide range of motion. Furthermore, a particle analysis was also conducted at Endolab Germany in accordance to ISO 17853. The main conclusions from this analysis was that the MaltaHip implants (UHMWPE and crosslinked PE) produced small diameter particles with morphology similar to those which are observed in crosslinked PE.
A patent has initially filed in 2019, and taken to an international filing (PCT) in 2020 (PCT/EP2020/067366). The patent is published and can be accessed .
We are looking for a manufacturing partner who would be interested in producing the hip prosthesis.
Other information
The MALTAHIP project is funded by the Malta Council for Science and Technology through FUSION: The R&I Technology Development Programme 2016 (R&I-2015-023T). MCL Components Ltd. is the industrial partner collaborating in this project. The implants were machined by Empav Engineering Ltd., a Maltese local family-owned company to the highest machining standards. The machining excellence achieved by Empav Engineering Ltd. was awarded the Industrial Excellence Award on 30 November 2019, during the Malta Engineering Excellence Awards 2019 which was hosted by the Chamber of Engineer under the Patronage of H.E. Dr George Vella, President of Malta.
The invention placed first during the Malta Intellectual Property Awards 2019 under the Scientific Initiative category during the ceremonial event organized by the Commerce Department of the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and small Business.