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Our vision is to be a leader in innovation management that creates value for the University of Utah, its stakeholders and society.
Research and innovation at the University of Utah continue to translate into real-world impact. The Orthopaedic Innovation Center has received FDA 510(k) clearance for the CoAptix™ S 7.5mm System—an advancement in orthopedic technology designed to improve healing and reduce complications for patients.
The CoAptix™ S system introduces a new approach to bone repair. In many orthopedic procedures, two sections of bone must heal together into a single, stable structure. A common complication, known as non-union, occurs when those bones fail to fuse—often leading to pain, instability, and additional surgery.
This system is designed to address that challenge directly. Unlike traditional implants that remain fixed after surgery, the CoAptix™ S functions as a dynamic, self-adjusting device. Once implanted, it continuously applies pressure to hold the bone segments together. If a small gap forms during the healing process, the implant automatically shortens—by up to 4mm—to maintain contact and stability where it matters most.
By preserving this constant compression, the technology supports the body’s natural healing process and helps reduce the risk of complications that can delay recovery or require further intervention.
The system includes a range of screw sizes and specialized surgical instruments, enabling surgeons to tailor treatment across a wide variety of procedures, including fracture repair, osteotomies, and joint fusions—areas that represent a significant portion of orthopedic care.
“This technology represents an important evolution in orthopedic fixation,” said Wade Fallin, Executive Director of the L. S. Peery, M.D. Orthopaedic Innovation Center. “Dynamic compression has demonstrated clear biomechanical and clinical advantages. With this platform, we are translating research into solutions that have the potential to improve outcomes for patients worldwide.”
The CoAptix™ S system is part of a broader platform of dynamic compression technologies under development, including additional implant sizes and intramedullary devices. The innovation is supported by a strong intellectual property portfolio, with six issued U.S. patents and additional applications pending.
For patients, the impact is clear: a higher likelihood of successful healing, fewer complications, and a reduced need for revision surgeries.
This milestone reflects the University of Utah’s commitment to advancing research that improves lives and strengthens society through meaningful innovation.
A collaboration between the University of Utah, Penn State, and Colorado-based company Elementum 3D has been awarded funding through NASA’s Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I program. The team will work together to advance the science of cold spray additive manufacturing for high-temperature alloys that can be used in the aerospace, space, defense, and energy industries. The announcement comes as NASA’s Artemis II mission returns astronauts to deep space, a milestone University of Utah researcher Dr. Suhas Eswarappa Prameela recently discussed in a local news interview (see below).
Manufacturing Challenges in Extreme Environments
In industries that operate under extreme thermal, mechanical, and oxidative environments, such as aerospace, defense, energy, and space propulsion, manufacturers and researchers face growing challenges in manufacturing high-performing and economically viable products.
In space propulsion systems, for example, reusable rocket engine components must survive repeated exposure to extreme temperatures and reactive environments without degradation. As NASA and industry partners push towards greater reusability and higher operating limits in these components, traditional materials and manufacturing approaches increasingly constrain service life and reliability.
These challenges have driven interest in advanced alloys and new manufacturing routes capable of enabling durable, repairable, and reusable components to be used in extreme environments.
A New Alloy in Additive Manufacturing
To meet these challenges, researchers use cold spray additive manufacturing techniques to develop components for rocket engines and other products designed to operate under extreme temperature, pressure, and stress.
Cold spray additive manufacturing, akin to 3D printing, deposits metal particles at high velocities to incrementally form dense coatings or bulk structures using a cold spray technique. This method works well for large or complex components, as it has higher deposition rates, minimal thermal damage, and fewer constraints on part size.
However, one of the challenges that comes with spray-based manufacturing is understanding how these metal particles bond, deform, or rebound upon impact, and how this in turn influences the performance of a product. Particle chemistry, microstructure, surface condition, impact velocity, and temperature all play critical roles in determining whether successful bonding occurs—all factors that are especially important for alloys designed for extreme environments.
With the recent development of NASA’s Commercial Invention of the Year, GRX-810, an alloy designed to withstand extreme temperature and oxidative environments, researchers are working to develop a scientific understanding of how the alloy’s particles bond during impact. This will eventually enable reliable manufacturing and repair pathways for components made of GRX-810, as the NASA-developed alloy has demonstrated exceptional performance in high-temperature applications.
A Partnership for Progress
Led by Elementum 3D, the STTR Phase I project brings together expertise from industry and academia, as the company, Penn State, and the University of Utah collaborate to explore spray-based manufacturing routes for GRX-810 with an end goal of optimization for manufacturing use.
Each organization plays a critical role in the project. Elementum 3D, based in Erie, Colorado, provides GRX-810 feedstock material and manufacturing perspective to both universities, while Penn State focuses on cold spray process development of the alloy.
Meanwhile, the University of Utah’s STARS Lab, directed by Dr. Suhas Eswarappa Prameela in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, contributes fundamental insight through tests on single particles using a novel Laser-Induced Particle Impact Test (LIPIT) system. These experiments test multiple variables that determine whether individual particles adhere, deform, or rebound during the cold-spray manufacturing process.
In a recent interview tied to the Artemis II launch, Prameela explained the broader significance of NASA’s return to the Moon, Utah’s longstanding role in propulsion systems, and the advanced materials needed for future lunar missions.
By combining their expertise and data, Elementum 3D, Penn State, and STARS Lab aim to map how material and processing parameters influence the bonding behavior of GRX-810. These results will guide future optimization of full-scale cold-spray manufacturing for these extreme temperature alloys.
Bridging Fundamental Science and Future Propulsion Systems
Collaborations like this highlight the critical role of academic laboratories in bridging basic science and applied research that confronts a pressing industry problem.
Dr. Suhas Eswarappa Prameela leads research that primarily focuses on understanding fundamental materials behavior under extreme conditions, while also contributing to applied challenges through partnerships with organizations like NASA.
“I think this confluence of basic and applied research is absolutely critical,” shared Dr. Eswarappa Prameela. “Our strength lies in understanding the fundamental physics, but programs like STTR allow us to translate those insights into manufacturing-relevant knowledge that industry and NASA can directly use.”
Advice for Postdocs and PIs
This process serves as translation guiding both basic and applied research, but it also gives researchers and PIs opportunities to work together to combat real and intricate problems that require innovative solutions. Dr. Eswarappa Prameela encourages early-career researchers to seek collaborations across disciplines and institutions.
“Complex problems like these cannot be solved in isolation,” he said. “Engaging with people who bring different tools, perspectives, and expertise is essential.”
Partnerships such as the one between the University of Utah, Penn State, and Elementum 3D enable teams to address problems that span across materials design, processing science, and manufacturing scalability.
The U’s Innovation Ecosystem
This collaboration is funded through NASA’s STTR Phase I program, which supports early-stage technology development through partnerships between research institutions and small businesses. Phase I supports projects like these for 13 months, with successful projects eligible to compete for a Phase II Award, which would support further development and scale-up.
As space and aerospace technologies continue to drive economic growth both nationally and in Utah, collaborations like this position the U of U to contribute foundational scientific insight into next-generation propulsion systems, including high-temperature materials and manufacturing approaches relevant to future rocket engine components for lunar and deep-space missions.
Learn more about NASA’s STTR Program.
The University of Utah has been named to the National Academy of Inventors’ (NAI) 2025 Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents list, further reinforcing its position as a national leader in research, innovation, and commercialization.
This latest recognition builds on the university’s previously announced placement among the world’s top institutions for U.S. utility patents. While that global ranking compares universities worldwide, the newly released Top 100 U.S. list focuses specifically on domestic institutions—highlighting the U’s strong impact within the United States innovation ecosystem.
Together, these rankings underscore the breadth and consistency of innovation at the U: competing on a global stage while also driving meaningful advancements at home.
Released annually and based on calendar year data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the NAI rankings spotlight universities that are translating research into patented technologies with real-world impact. The U’s inclusion reflects a sustained commitment to moving discoveries from the lab to the marketplace.
From pioneering medical devices and therapeutics to advances in engineering, software, and energy, University of Utah researchers are developing solutions that improve lives and strengthen the economy. This success is supported by a robust innovation ecosystem that empowers faculty, students, and industry partners to collaborate, launch startups, and scale new technologies.
“Being recognized both globally and nationally for our patent output speaks to the strength of our research enterprise and the real-world impact of our discoveries,” said Dr. Jamie P. Dwyer, Chief Innovation Officer at the U. “The U continues to be a place where ideas become innovations that benefit society.”
The Top 100 U.S. Universities list is one of three annual rankings published by the NAI and reflects the essential role that American universities play in advancing new technologies and supporting economic growth.
As the university continues to expand its research impact, these recognitions highlight a clear trajectory: the University of Utah is not only producing world-class research—it is delivering innovations that matter.
Learn more about University of Utah Innovation.
