Bioabsorbable Extrusion: Revolutionizing the Next Generation of Medical Devices

Development of Bioabsorbable Polymers
Bioabsorbable polymers are capable of safely existing in the body and eventually absorbing without causing harm or adverse interactions. The ability to safely remain in the body for controlled lengths of time makes bioabsorbable polymers particularly suitable for various medical applications, presenting an alternative to traditional polymers or metal components.

Several families of bioabsorbable polymers are known which include polyesters, poly(amino acids), polyanhydrides, polyorthoesters, polyurethanes, and polycarbonates. Most of the commercially available bioabsorbable devices are composed of polyesters, primarily homopolymers and copolymers of poly(lactic acid) and poly(glycolic acid). Copolyesters of ε-caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, and para-dioxanone have also been commercialized.

The Zeus Advantage: Technology and Capabilities
Our bioabsorbable material processing capabilities and formulations are the most advanced in the industry. Zeus is able to extrude these biomaterials into high precision tubular geometries and perform full polymer characterization to provide necessary data to meet regulatory requirements. Our capabilities include tight tolerance extrusion, formulations, customization, sophisticated materials science, multiple combinations of the product, and degradation profiles.

The Role of Bioabsorbables in Typical Medical Applications
Zeus’ biomaterials platform is targeted for the development of a wide variety of medical products for both preventive care and the treatment of disease. With steady growth in the field of bioabsorbables, typical applications are ever-evolving and expanding. Current typical applications include:

	Orthopedic – fracture fixation plates, pins and screws, bone augmentation, nails (scaffolding)
	Dental – Packing, dry socket treatment, scaffolding
	Surgical – Ligament repair, wound closure (sutures, suture anchors, skin staples, & adhesives), adhesion barriers, drug delivery, antineoplastic delivery, ligating clips, hemostasis clips, temporary RO markers
	Stents – vascular, coronary, biliary, ureteral, esophageal, etc.
	Tissue engineering – 3-D structures, electrospinning, molded, extruded
	Vascular graft with scaffolding
	Bowel anastamosis and ureteral anastamosis
	Guided nerve regeneration
	Percutaneous devices with limited ingrowth
	Tissue engineering scaffolds
	Vehicles for controlled drug and therapeutic agent delivery
	Catheters

Key Properties:

	Modulated degradation rates
	Varying strengths and stiffness
	Multiple extrusion forms
	FDA-approved for medical devices
	Tailored to customer’s specifications

Features:

	Capable of safely existing and being absorbed in the body
	Finite functionality
	Absence of stress shielding associated with long term permanent implants
	Controlled/gradual rate of bioabsorption or degradation

Benefits:

	No second surgery for explantation
	Controlled load transfer
	Promotion and temporary support for tissue in-growth for tissue engineering
	Ability to match degradation profile with healing profile leading to optimal tissue differentiation
	No undesirable interactions with the body as associated with corrosion of metals
	Enables long term drug release
	Provides Novel and Alternate IP position
	Controlled rate of drug delivery or therapeutic agent
	Cost effective as compared to metal equivalents

Capabilities

	Tight tolerance extrusion
	Sophisticated materials science
	Advanced processing and development
	Multiple combinations of the product