3D Printing Bioresorbable Powder Launched by Evonik

Evonik RESORMER PrintPowder

Evonik has developed what is reportedly the world’s first bioresorbable polymer in powder form suitable for the high-resolution 3D printing of implantable medical devices on Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) equipment.

RESOMER® PrintPowder is a free-flowing powder with tight specifications and optimized particle size distribution. Evonik’s powder preparation capabilities can support the supply of ISO 13485 Certified formulations for development and commercial use. Customization options are available upon request.

“The free-flowing processability of RESOMER PrintPowder will, for the first time, allow medical device companies to utilize SLS 3D printing technologies to create complex bioresorbable implants with precisely tailored mechanical properties,” said Dr. Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Health Care business line. “With the launch of RESOMER PrintPowder, Evonik becomes the first commercial GMP supplier of bioresorbable polymers with a complete portfolio of powders, filaments and granules suitable for use with all core 3D printing technologies.”

Spinal fusion cages, scaffolds for soft tissue repair and craniomaxillofacial applications are among the implantable products that can leverage the powder-based polymers to improve patient healing and device performance.

Mechanical properties and degradation characteristics of devices utilizing RESOMER PrintPowder can be precisely engineered to meet application requirements such as strength, durability and the prevention of stress shielding.

The new material responds to the growing trend of personalized medicine in orthopedics, Balaji Prabhu, Director of Evonik’s Medical Device Competence Center told BONEZONE.

“The combination of 3D printing technology with versatile biomaterial platforms is critical to addressing this emerging area of market need,” he said. “Instead of surgeons having to modify one-size-fits-all implants during the procedure, custom implants with precise geometries can be rapidly created with the help of advanced 3D technologies. This advancement can help to reduce surgery time, accelerate patient healing, eliminate the need for additional surgical procedures for implant removal, and reduce the risk of metallic allergies.”

Evonik’s Medical Device Competence Center in Birmingham, Alabama offers powder preparation services and supports device companies with their advanced polymeric synthesis, processing and scale-up requirements with various 3D printing and electrospinning technologies.

In addition to the supply of RESOMER PrintPowder, Evonik can also offer 3D printing of feasibility samples on its own SLS equipment and provide other associated testing, analysis, characterization and regulatory services.

 

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