Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
DePuy, a Johnson & Johnson company, will dedicate its new research and development facilities Sept. 9. The original lab, which included 10,000 square feet, was built in 1988 and was expanded in the early 1990s with an additional 10,000 square feet.
The recent expansion now encompasses 49,000 square feet for research and 5,000 square feet for manufacturing. The original 20,000 square feet was renovated during the recent construction project. There are 60 employees in research, 12 in the development labs and 13 in orthobiologic manufacturing and microbiology. It is anticipated that more employees will be added in the future due to the expansion.
The new manufacturing area is separate from other manufacturing areas due to the need for a more sterile environment for some newer products. This area is built on the first floor, but is supported by a special area in the lower level from which liquids are mixed and pumped to the first floor and waste material is pumped back to the basement for neutralization and disposal.
Some of the other key areas in the facility include: a technical library that includes periodicals, books and computers for links to other library systems throughout the world; rapid and conventional prototyping; microbiology lab; orthobiologics lab; metallurgy lab; tribology or a joint simulation lab; polymers lab; bioceramics lab; biomechanics lab; and a pilot production facility.
The rapid prototyping area contains state-of-the-art equipment that allows a product to be designed on a computer, then a prototype is built of plastic resins in thin sections a layer at a time. When compared with the method of prototyping that requires working with actual metals, rapid prototyping cuts months off development time.
Another feature of rapid prototyping quickly allows a model to be constructed of a bone from a computer-assisted tomography or CT scan that can assist a surgeon by providing lifelike detail of what will be encountered during surgery. Digital imaging and templating is another advancement using electronic templating software engineered by DePuy researchers, which provides more precise preoperative planning for more efficient intraoperative procedures.
Orthobiologics researches and develops biologic biomaterials to provide the capability of repairing and regenerating damaged cartilage, such as meniscal cartilage, the No. 1 sports-related knee injury. To assist with bone defect healing, scientists have developed calcium phosphate-based materials. The orthobiologic team also develops biologic biomaterial matrices that act as scaffolds to reinforce ligament and tendon repairs in soft tissues.
Metallurgically, it's important that implants are resistant to fatigue, corrosion and wear and that the surface of the implants creates fixation between the implant and the patient's bone tissue. Each orthopedic company has developed its own surface coatings. In the early 1980s, DePuy developed and patented Porocoatª Porous Coating for biologic fixation to bone. Porocoat has been shown to provide the right porosity and roughness in a porous coating to ensure the fastest and most lasting fixation.
Orthopedic biotribology encompasses wear simulation and surface characterization to aid in developing improvements in design and materials for total joint articulation surfaces. Machines in this area test implants under natural loading conditions in a fluid environment to simulate the movement of actual body parts. The knee simulator allows comparisons of knee designs and bearing materials. For example, simulation has shown that the rotating platform knee replacement decreases wear by up to 94 percent compared to a fixed bearing
The biomechanics lab tests implants to determine how much stress they can withstand under repeated loading conditions (fatigue).
The new facility also includes areas for process development and a polymer research group.
One area, a pilot production, still under construction, will allow process development of new products prior to transferring the technology to the manufacturing floor.
