Delhi: Sumita Mitra, Indian-American chemist has been nominated for the European Inventor Award 2021, as a finalist in the Non-EPO countries.  She was nominated in the category of nanotechnology to the production of dental materials, leading to the creation of a new composite to repair teeth which have many advantages over conventional materials.

EPO president António Campinos said at the announcement of the European Inventor Award 2021 finalists award, Mitra’s invention takes what was an emerging technology at the time nanotechnology and applies it to a new sector to provide a solution for dentists and relief for patients.

The EPO in its press note said that the winners of the 2021 edition of the EPO’s annual innovation prize will be  announced at a ceremony on June 17, which has been re – imagined as a digital event for a global audience this year.

Mitra’s material overcomes many of the limitations of previous dental composites, which were either too weak to be used on biting surfaces, or quickly lost their polish and became physically unattractive.

Patents have protected Mitra’s material and helped ensure that her invention remains commercially successful nearly 20 years after its launch. Her invention is more versatile than other composites, and can be used in any area of the mouth, and simplifies the filling procedure for dentists.

Commercialized as Filtek™ Supreme Universal Restorative since 2002 by 3M, the US multinational for which Mitra worked for more than 30 years, the technology and the products developed from it are now used by dentists around the globe.