Bioresorbable polymers changing the med device landscape

Over the past few decades, the landscape of materials used in implantable medical devices has changed. Permanent implants have fallen out of favor due to their biocompatibility issues over the long term, and bioresorbable materials have taken their place in many different applications. Doctors prefer to avoid situations where revision surgeries are necessary, and patients are excited at the “regenerative” solutions.

What’s defined as a bioresorbable material? Polymers with the ability to break down within the body have been defined using many buzzwords including bio-absorbable, bio-degradable, and dissolvable – the list goes on.

To keep things simple, we have chosen to term these materials as bioresorbable. The bioresorption of these polymers occur either enzymatically or hydrolytically. You might recall from your biology classes that your body produces and consumes a wide variety of natural polymers such as proteins, amino acids, and polysaccharides like glucose, sucrose, etc. These polymers all undergo a process in the body that breaks them down using enzymes.

Synthetic polymers such as poly-lactides, poly-caprolactones, poly-glycolides, etc. are all primarily broken down via hydrolytic reactions. Many new types and combinations are being explored in a variety of applications. The physical properties of these polymers, such as flexibility, strength, shape and degradation rates, can all be customized through adjustments in the chemistry of the material and the way they are processed.

Once a recipe for a particular synthetic polymer has been developed, it is easy to scale up the production and have consistent reproducibility. In general, applications that require batch-to-batch uniformity and patient-to-patient implant response will find better solutions with synthetic polymers.

At Poly-Med, we specialize in the development and production of medical grade synthetic bioresorbable polymers. Our team has the capability of providing customized solutions using our portfolio of polymers. With a design process that has been refined for decades, Poly-Med produces consistent results that help innovative organizations accelerate the delivery of their products.

We welcome you to contact us for more information, and look forward to forming successful partnerships.