Pump Priming Projects

Wound healing – a sweet solution (2017-18)

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Wounds from burns and trauma, seen in all age groups, body areas, all over the world, often struggle to heal. Delayed healing, with countless unpleasant dressing changes, leads to worse, tighter scarring associated with disability, risks of recurrent infection and diminished quality of life for 1000s worldwide. Where healthy blood supply can be generated in the wound bed all these factors improve. Certain sugars appear to encourage blood vessel formation, are resistant to destruction by bacteria and can be incorporated into simple dressings currently used in these wound types, leading to better, faster wound healing.

Emergency escharotomy in burns patients (2019-20)

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Burns can be serious, life or limb threatening injuries. They can affect patients of any age or gender. They are normally managed in specialist burns centres, however, these patients will be first assessed at a local hospital before being referred on. There are some aspects of burns care that are extremely time sensitive including fluid resuscitation to try to reduce the general effects of the burn on the patient’s body and emergency surgery to divide burnt tissue on the limbs to allow blood flow or on the chest to allow ventilation of the lungs. This surgery is called escharotomy. The aim of this research is to optimize the delivery of this emergency surgery through the development of a surgical simulator. This will mean that surgical trainees or accident and emergency department doctors will be adequately trained to perform escharotomies and therefore improve patient outcome.

Biodegradable dressings for mouth cancer surgery (2022-23)

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Surgery for early-stage mouth cancer often leaves difficult wounds inside the mouth - an area that’s constantly moving, exposed to saliva, and vital for eating and speaking. Healing well is crucial, but reconstructive options are limited. This research is testing a synthetic material called NovoSorb®, which acts like a temporary scaffold to support healing and then dissolves safely in the body. It’s been used in other types of surgery, but this will be the first time it's studied for use inside the mouth. Delays in setting up the project have pushed back the timeline, but the study is now supported by the NHS Trust and ready to move ahead. If successful, it could offer safer, more effective treatment for people recovering from oral cancer surgery.

3D-Printed Skin and Cartilage for Reconstructive Surgery (2023-24)

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Rebuilding parts of the body after burns, cancer, or trauma is one of the most complex challenges in plastic surgery. This research explores the use of 3D printing to create living tissue — using a natural body substance called hyaluronic acid as a kind of “bio-ink.”

The aim is to one day produce custom-made skin and cartilage structures — such as a whole ear or nose — to help people with visible differences caused by injury or illness. Early work has shown that hyaluronic acid could be printed in fine sheets and grids, laying the foundation for growing new tissue on demand. If successful, this research could revolutionise reconstructive surgery by reducing the need for skin grafts and making more advanced, personalised treatments possible.