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Absorv™ - 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 e-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 ApplicationsZeus' Absorv™ 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