BioSilicon™ Animated Presentation

biosilicon | competitive aDvantages

As a new biomaterial BioSilicon™ is a nanostructured form of elemental silicon, one of the most abundant elements on the earth's crust, engineered to create a ‘honeycomb' structure of pores. This structure allows silicon to biodegrade while also allowing the retention of various drugs and vaccines within the honeycomb matrix. BioSilicon™ retains the key semiconductor properties of silicon and is machineable at a micro level. BioSilicon™ also demonstrates optical properties that provide the basis for a variety of potential devices for biodegradable and biocompatible diagnostic products.

In pre-clinical studies pSivida has shown that BioSilicon™ is both biodegradable and biocompatible. pSivida believes that in doing so it has created a unique biomaterial that has the potential not only to serve as a biomedical device but also as a novel drug delivery carrier for a wide range of drug entities. pSivida's studies have shown that BioSilicon™ dissolves in body fluids into silicic acid, commonly found in everyday foods.

pSivida's core focus is the development of applications for controlled release drug delivery. Other potential applications across the healthcare sector include diagnostics, targeted cancer therapies (including brachytherapy and localized chemotherapy), orthopedics, tissue engineering and ophthalmology.

competitive advantages of biosilicon™

A pure and controllable environment for highly efficient drug loading and release

Abundant and low cost – silicon makes up approximately 28% of the earth's crust and is freely available

Scale up and manufacture of silicon proven with more than 40 years experience in the electronics industry

Vast number of potential applications in delivery of drugs, including small molecules, peptides, proteins and vaccines

Control of drug loading and release kinetics through physical (not chemical) optimization

Biodegradable scaffolds and other forms providing potential applications in orthopaedics, wound healing and tissue engineering

Biodegradability, sensor, optical and semiconductor properties for potential applications in diagnostics

SEMI CONDUCTIVE electronic chips MECHANICAL & THERMAL PROPORTIES microsensors BIODEGRADABLE biomedical devices MACHINABLE micromachines PHOTO CONDUCTIVE solar cells LUMINESCENT light emitting diodes Biosilicon™ bridges the gap between electronics & healthcare