SIIRI – Safety-Integrated and Infection-Reactive Implants

Medical implants are essential for restoring health and quality of life, yet they remain vulnerable to complications such as wear, functional failure, and infections. These risks can compromise patient safety and treatment success. SIIRI addresses this challenge by developing safety-integrated and infection-reactive implants — implant systems that integrate safety mechanisms and can actively respond to infection risks. The project builds on concepts from engineering sciences, such as lifecycle monitoring and safety strategies used in aviation, and transfers them into medicine to improve implant reliability.

As a DFG-funded Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio (CRC/TRR) 298, SIIRI brings together more than 150 researchers from medicine, dentistry, engineering, natural sciences, and social sciences. The consortium is led by the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover and Leibniz Universität Hannover, with partners including the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, and TIB – Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology.

The research is structured into three major areas:

• Technical and functional safety: Design, monitoring, and lifecycle management of implant systems, including methods for regeneration and safe removal.
• Interface and infection safety: Optical, chemical, and cell-based systems for early detection and autoregulative response to implant-associated infections.
• Communication and training: Research on doctor–patient communication to strengthen trust in new implant technologies, plus dedicated support for early-career researchers.

By combining prevention, early detection, and responsive treatment strategies, SIIRI aims to establish a digital implant lifecycle management system that ensures long-term implant safety. Its interdisciplinary approach advances implant technology while fostering patient-centered communication and acceptance of innovative medical solutions.

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INF Project – Research Data Management for Safety-Integrated and Infection-Reactive Implants (RDM-SIIRI)

Effective research data management (RDM) is essential for the interdisciplinary collaboration at the CRC/TRR 298 SIIRI, where medicine, engineering, natural, and social sciences converge to improve implant safety. The INF project develops a standardized RDM solution that captures research activities, artifacts, data, and knowledge across all implant lifecycle phases. By integrating diverse datasets — from clinical cohorts to omics analyses— into a common framework, the INF project ensures that research outputs are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR).

Building on platforms such as the Open Research Knowledge Graph (ORKG), the TIB Terminology Service, and the Leibniz Data Manager, the INF project provides methods, tools, and infrastructure for long-term data preservation and reuse. It interfaces directly with the Digital Implant Lifecycle Management (DILM) system, enabling predictive analyses of implant function and failure. Beyond technical solutions, INF strengthens RDM skills across the consortium through training and showcases added value via interdisciplinary use cases.

By embedding FAIR principles and leveraging national and international infrastructures like NFDI and EOSC, INF advances SIIRI’s mission: Make implant research safer, more transparent, and more sustainable!

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