S. Windsor manufacturer wins $150K NIH grant

South Windsor 3D printed medical device maker Oxford Performance Materials said it has won a $150,000 federal grant to improve the treatment of infections related to the implantation of artificial hips, knees and other devices.

The three-year grant from the National Institutes of Health will help OPM explore the delivery of antibiotics through its 3D printed implants, made with a plastic called poly-ether-ketone-ketone, or PEKK.

The company said implant-related infections are expected to be a $12 billion problem by next year.

OPM is collaborating on the project with experts from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard.