Additive Manufacturing of Nitinol Fixation Hardware for Reconstructing Mandibular Segmental Defects

The primary goal of this proposal is to advance the scientific knowledge of Nitinol by investigating production of 3D shapes using selective laser sintering, an additive manufacturing technique. This funding as intended by SMST is to provide a stipend for Ahmadreza Jahadakabr Walker, who is a Mechanical Engineering graduate student at the University of Toledo. Ahmadreza’s dissertation is on design, manufacturing, and evaluation of functional 3D Nitinol devices. Dr. Elahinia, the PI, has spent the last 14 years investigating various aspects of research and application of Nitionl. In this capacity he has managed more than $5 million in research funding. He will assume administrative and financial responsibility of the grant.  The group has full access to a range of facilities at the Nitinol Commercialization Accelerator for conducting the proposed research. It is expected that the results of this investigation will create a paradigm shift in Nitinol research. Functional Nitinol devices with shape memory and superelastic properties with versatile geometries are fundamental to open innovation frontiers in disciplines such as medical devices and aerospace actuators.