Titanium Implants to Help Dogs Breathe Developed by Russian Experts

Experts from the Russian National Research University of Technology MISiS (NUST MISIS), and the minimally invasive company Biomimetix collaborated with veterinarians to develop titanium-nickel implants for pugs. The developer guarantees that with the help of the implant, furry patients with a collapsed throat will be able to breathe on their own without having to intubate a tube in the throat. This is a message issued by the Press Office of NUST MISIS University.

According to experts' description, High-Nickel-Titanium alloy products with a shape memory, effect are widely used in medicine, such as various implants.

Scientists at NUST MISIS used this alloy to design and fabricate implants for pugs with a collapsed throat. Throat collapse is a common disease in this dog breed, which causes shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. Therefore, the animal may die or be forced to breathe through a special cannula for life.

"The implant sample is an elliptical cylindrical stent. The installed stent supports the laryngeal cartilage in the best position to prevent the airway from closing and restore the patient's ability to breathe naturally." One of the authors of the study, NUST MISIS Metal Pressure Treatment, Said Damir Asimbayev, a master's student in the department.

According to his opinion, less than three months after the implant was implanted, the tissue grew through the pores of the stent, and the installed stent was completely implanted in the dog's throat. A process for custom series of size implants has been developed, a small batch of products has come out, and a heat treatment model has been developed.

Currently, developers are looking for more technical designs of implants to reduce their costs and develop porous polymer coating technologies to improve their fusion with the throat.

This research was done under the joint efforts of the experimental clinic of the Russian Ministry of Health Blokhin National Medical Oncology Research Center, and the minimally invasive company Biomimetix (Biomimetix operates on the basis of NUST MISIS), also strictly takes into account the surgeons of the veterinary clinic Established medical and technical requirements.