The growth of the implantable devices market is also attracting the attention of major polymer producers. At K 2007, Solvay Advanced Polymers announced a new family of biomaterials called Solviva for use in implantable medical devices.
They include:
Zeniva PEEK (polyetheretherketone). One of the most chemically resistant plastics available, PEEK also exhibits high strength and stiffness along with excellent toughness and fatigue resistance.
Proniva SRP (self-reinforced polyphenylene). Described as the stiffest and strongest unreinforced thermoplastic available, SRP also offers exceptional chemical resistance and hardness.
Veriva PPSU (polyphenylsulfone). This polymer offers toughness combined with transparency and excellent chemical resistance.
Eviva PSU (polysulfone). PSU provides “practical” toughness in a strong, transparent polymer.
New production processes and significant testing was required to make these materials eligible for implants. These efforts included meeting the relevant aspects of the current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines of the Food & Drug Administration’s 21CFR Part 820 Quality Systems Requirements and ensuring manufacturing operations are in compliance with relevant aspects of the ISO 13485 Quality Management System for the manufacture of medical devices.
OEMs evaluating the new materials include Zimmer Medical, a leading orthopedic supplier based in Warsaw, IN. The market for knee implants alone is $5.2 billion annually and is growing at an 8 percent clip, estimates Zimmer Chief Financial Officer James T. Crines.
Almost every automaker has had to 'pick a side' when it comes to alternative fuel options and ways to divest from a reliance on gasoline. Fiat is looking to back compressed natural gas or liquid propane as an interim solution.
Designing and filling a new type of water bottle might take less engineering work, but the description will help kids understand how science, math, and engineering influence their lives even through things that seem mundane.
Against a backdrop of mounting product complexity and a need to keep a lid on development costs, companies are recognizing a need to make simulation a more integral part of the design process. In response, vendors in the CAD world are building out CAE functionality as part of their CAD suites while simulation vendors are building tighter integrations to leading CAD tools. Keith Meintjes, Ph.D., Practice Manager, Simulation and Analysis at CIMdata, Inc., joins Design News CAD Editor Beth Stackpole in this radio program to explore the new face of integrated CAD and CAE, how companies are benefitting from this tighter partnership between platforms, and how integrating CAE earlier in the development cycle pays off in optimized product designs.
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