University of Sheffield
About the Project
Project description:
This highly interdisciplinary project combines 3D Printing and silver-based antimicrobial technology in order to reduce the chances of infection following a patient undergoing a Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).
PEG are routinely used to feed patients for whom oral feeding is impossible, e.g. when recovering from head and neck cancer surgery. Although around 15,000 PEG are placed in the UK each year, mortality and complications following surgery can occur, with the most common complication (infection of the surgical site), occurring in up to 30% of patients.
Infection frequently occurs at the site of suture lock discs (placed on the skin surface to hold sutures anchoring the PEG tube in place until they dissolve or are removed after 2-3 weeks) and in skin underlying external ‘bumpers’ (which secure the external part of the tube to the abdomen). While there has been some success in prevention of infection using prophylactic antibiotic treatment, the global rise in antibiotic resistance means there is an increasing need for the development of non-antibiotic approaches.
We have previously shown that we can effectively incorporate a silver-based additive into 3D Printed parts, and that these parts successfully prevented and/or killed bacteria under certain conditions.
This exciting new project will explore this approach for PEG infections, with a particular focus on understanding its effectiveness against common PEG-related infections, and the length of time it remains effective in the specific environmental conditions encountered in real life. We will also explore the additional geometric complexity achievable with 3D Printing, to determine whether new designs of these products may lead to improvements in clinical outcomes.
How to apply:
Please complete a University Postgraduate Research Application form available here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/apply/applying.
Please clearly state the prospective main supervisor in the respective box and select ‘School of Clinical Dentistry’ as the department.
Entry Requirements:
Candidates must have a first or upper second class honours degree or significant research experience.
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