The objectives of the institute are to develop new biomaterials and apply these materials to novel artificial organs based on biomatrial science and bioengineering.
There are four divisions and one center in the institute; the Division of Biomedical Materials, the Division of Biofunctional Restoration, the Division of Medical Devices, the Division of Biomolecular Chemistry, and Medical and Dental Device Technology Incubation Center. In collaboration with each other, efforts are made to achieve above mentioned objectives.
Among the examples of academic, industrial and/or clinical contributions made in the past are:
- Development of a new fluorescene-labeling reagent (DMEQ-TAD) for assaying vitamins D and A
- Introduction of a new concept into structure-activity relationships of vitamin D
- Development of pyridinol carbamate for the treatment of atherosclerosis
- Rational design of sequence-specific DNA alkylating agents
- Introduction and development of a concept of adhesion in dentistry
- (development of a TBB-MMA resin system with adhesiveness to teeth and a metal primer for adhesion of dental metals)
- Development of fluoride ion-releasing material for prevention of dental caries
- Development of superelastic Ti-Ni alloy wire for orthodontics
- Development of biomedical titanium alloys
- Development of artificial tooth roots made of hydroxyapatite-coated titanium
- Proposal of reliable bonding mechanism to dentin(creation of a hybridized dentin) and development of 4-META/MMA-TBB resin
- Preparation of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymers and proposal of the new concept for preparing blood compatible materials
- Activation of activated carbon for an artificial liver (DHP-1)
- Development of guided tissue regeneration method for large bone defect with bioabsorbable membrane
- Development of a computer-assisted tooth cutting system
- Proposal of a new mathematical definition of 3D rotations of anatomical joints
- Development of a radiographic measurement method for polyethylene wear in total knee arthroplasty
- Development of an imaging system for skin thermal properties
- Instrumentation for physiological monitoring and home health care
- Isolation and identification of uridine and oxidized glutathione as a sleep-promoting substances (SPS) from sleep-deprived rat brains and analysis of their physiological sleep-modulatory activities
- Development of a novel bioassay for sleep substances by means of long-term intracerebro-ventricular infusion/polysomnography technique in unrestrained rats
