Karen West

Shawn Shorrok

Customer demand for high-strength biocompatible materials designed for use in complex medical device applications have inspired two companies to pool their expertise. High-performance polymers supplier Solvay Specialty Polymers, Chicago, IL, and custom biomedical textile structures manufacturer Secant Medical Perkasie, PA, are partnering to produce implantable biomedical fabric structures

From development and production to marketing and distribution, the collaboration will result in providing medical OEMs with the option to develop custom implantable fabrics made of Solvay’s Zeniva polyetheretherkeytone (PEEK) fiber for therapeutic devices used in orthopedic, cardiovascular, neurological, and general surgery applications, as well as tissue engineering. “This new material solution is being offered in direct response to customer demands and meets their strict performance requirements,” says Shawn Shorrock, global healthcare market manager for Solvay Advanced Polymers.

According to the company, Solvay’s Zeniva PEEK provides a modulus similar to bone in addition to high biocompatibility, toughness, and fatigue resistance. Zeniva PEEK and its corresponding Solviva biomaterial product line are manufactured in compliance with ISO 13485 in a lab that is ISO 17025 compliant. Secant uses these high-performance biomaterials in various combinations to manufacture a range of woven, knitted, and braided fabrics for implantable devices. Examples of custom applications for these products and formats include high-strength sutures and lightweight textile mesh structures for a variety of surgical procedures that require tissue reinforcement and wound support. The biocompatible PEEK also can be used in such applications as bone-anchoring devices, rotator cuff and arthroscopic joint repair, spinal stabilization and disc repair replacement, textile-based heart valves, and vascular grafts.

“Our collaboration will expand Secant Medical’s offering, broaden our ability to help clients to innovate their concepts, and further expand our leadership position in biomedical textiles engineering,” says Karen West, vice president of advanced technologies for Secant.