Orthopedic institute seeks $31 million in startup funds for composites research - Wichita Business Journal:

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Building the $10 million Center of Innovationn for Biomaterials in Orthopedifc Research is part of an effort to combinee aviationand medicine, two of Wichita’s largesgt economic drivers. Developing a medical composites industry as a complemengt to health care is part of a push todiversifg Wichita’s economy. “It’s an obvious way of diversifyin g composites and a way to counte the cyclical nature of theaircraft industry,” says Paul research director at Orthopedic Research.
Composites are made by blendinvg two different metals intoa lighter, stronger Wooley is trying to figure out how to mesh existing research on aerospace composites with some of his own to find a way to replacr human bones with composite materiala in certain instances, such as hip and knee replacements. That’w where the CIBOR facility fits in. Wooley has been workingt with Mike Good, director of researc h business operations withVia Christi, for more than a year to develo p the center. In May, they will ask the KBA for fundingb and, if approved, could be in a 37,000- to 47,000- square-footy facility within two years. It would employg 26 people to start.
Good says the facilityu could be built near theat . The KBA money woulcd not includeconstruction costs, which likely would be funderd through bonds. “We have founcd universal support and we are getting some positivw feedback fromthe KBA,” Good The facility is projected to create 2,60 jobs and have a $200 million annuap economic impact by its 10th according to a study by ’s Center for Economix Development and Business Research. Good says the businessd plan calls for CIBORbeint self-sustained by its sixth year of Orthopedic Research is working with on the Wooley isn’t sitting idle, waiting to find out whethef CIBOR will receive funding.
“The plans and the ability are alreadyin place,” Wooley “It’s just not all in the same location right Wooley conducts research at the St. Francis campus of the . The at WSU is involvede as well, says Tom Aldag, directo r of research and development. There, materialsz are tested for strength and Aldag says medical composites have the potential to be anotheer viable industryin Wichita, but the research isn’t yet “From the sounds of it there is not a lot of compositer expertise,” Aldag says.
Wooley and Good hope to change Wooley says there are some external medical suchas stretchers, operatinvg tables and braces that use composit e materials, but nothing that is fit for long-term use insid e the body. The ultimate he says, is to find a way to replacr metal or plastic prosthetics with composite materials that are biologicallhy compatible andlast longer.