The Nagpur-based healthcare firm is the first Indian company to produce PEEK-based implants for facial reconstruction
Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], July 13: As a brutal second wave of Covid-19 swept the country in April and May, an accompanying spike in Mucormycosis in Covid-19 patients cases further aggravated the woes of patients and the healthcare infrastructure.
As of June end, the country had reported more than 40,000 cases of Mucormycosis, commonly known as Black Fungus. According to statistics, more than three-fourth of these patients had Covid-19 infection, and more than half of the patients had diabetes.
In a significant majority, the regions most affected by Mucormycosis included the upper jaw and orbital region below the eye. To prevent the further spread of the infection, removal of the infected facial tissues was the line of treatment adopted by surgeons. While this procedure saved hundreds of lives, it also resulted in facial deformities, a huge stigma in our society.
Even as researchers and healthcare companies worldwide are working to find a solution to this, a firm in Nagpur has come up with an innovative solution to ensure the facial deformity does not leave a deep scar on the patients’ dignity and self-confidence. The solution is also cost-effective compared with other surgical options available to patients.
Nagpur-based LUCID Implants has become the first Indian company to produce Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) based customised implants keeping patient’s unique facial anatomy in mind with advanced 3D printing technologies and virtual surgical planning.
“At LUCID, our vision is to constantly innovate through intensive research in the field of biomedical engineering and develop world-class medical products. These facial implants grant the infected patients an opportunity to reconstruct the facial deformities caused as an aftereffect of Mucormycosis surgery,” said Dr. Pranav Sapkal, Founder and Director of LUCID Implants.
Surgery is performed on patients three or four months after the infection, where custom-made implants are used for facial reconstruction. The implants are medically bio-compatible, i.e., completely verified and safe to be used as a replacement of bone tissue due to their similarity in mechanical properties.
The recent advances in 3D printing technology and word-class process optimization allow LUCID to provide these innovative implant solutions at affordable prices, added Dr. Pranav Sapkal.
“Black Fungus has emerged as a lethal threat in India due to poor health infrastructure and improper patient management. Facial anatomy involves complex shapes, and reconstruction cannot be practically achieved by autogenous grafts. Patient-specific implants also help reduce the surgery time, which is required in the case of patients suffering from Covid-19. This innovation by LUCID Implants serves as a ray of hope for thousands of patients,” opined leading oral and maxillofacial surgeons Dr. Sharadindu Kotrashetti of KLE VK Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum, and Dr. Nitin Bhola of DMIMS Wardha.
LUCID Implants has a strong track record in innovation.
In 2019, LUCID received technology support and business acceleration from Dassault Systèmes after winning the prestigious “Excellence in Medical Technology Initiative” award at a conference in Paris. It received a grant of Rs. 10 lakh from the India Innovation Growth Programme (IIGP 2.0). It has also received other grants from private institutions for its advancements in the field of craniomaxillofacial implant manufacturing.
For more information on LUCID Implants | Patient-Specific CMF Implant Solutions, kindly visit the website https://lucidimplants.com/
Divya Agarwal
