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28 MedICAL teCHnoLoGY elements39 Issue 2|2012 Implants made from PEEK ensure new quality in medicine Whether it is spinal disc problems or certain diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, dental technology or cardiac pacemakers: For many health concerns, implants are the method of choice for restoring a patient’s quality of life. As an implant material, polyetheretherketone has established a firm position in a market defined not by large piece counts, but by custom-designed individual solutions. Evonik has met this challenge with VESTAKEEP® PEEK. [ text Marc Knebel ] Cranial-Maxillo-Facial Dental Orthopedics Cardiovascular Spine Fields of application for implants made from PeeK polymers
Patients Who suffeR from stomach or intestinal tumors can experience constriction of the digestive tract—a condition called stenosis, which prevents food from passing through. In these cases, a stent—an elastic, tube-shaped, self-expanding wire mesh that unfolds following placement in the esophagus or the affected section of the intestine—reopens the pathway for food. The stent does not cure the patient’s disease, but it does alleviate suffering and improves the patient’s quality of life. Traditionally produced from polyamide or polyester, stents can now be made from Evonik’s polyetheretherketone (PEEK) VESTAKEEP® as well. The material boasts not only excellent biocompatibility, which Evonik has verified in numerous tests by external testing institutes, but also high biostability. The latter is a direct result of the aromatic, partially crystalline properties of the PEEK polymer, which not only imparts outstanding resistance to corrosion, hydrolysis, and chemicals but also renders it inert to bodily liquids—the material retains its stability, even under aggressive conditions. The stents are one of the new medical applications Evonik has opened up with VESTAKEEP®. The fact that EPT—Evonik Polymer Technology GmbH, which manufactures PEEK semi-finished products—is certi- Synthesis of PeeK. the aromatic, partially crystalline properties of the PeeK polymer make it highly resistant to chemicals and bodily fluids fied to EN ISO 13485:2003 simplifies marketing of the material. This certification makes it easier for the producers of medical products to qualify as suppliers, and ensures specific medical standards of care and traceability are met. This completes a key hurdle in advancing new applications. In addition to its biostability and biocompatibility (see also elements34, p. 30 ff), the advantages of VESTAKEEP® include its outstanding mechanical properties, such as high dimensional stability based on low water intake, high stiffness at low weight, high resistance to heat distortion, and a long-term service temperature of 260 °C. This high-performance plastic is also easy to work into versatile shapes—an argument not only for the filigree construction of stents but also for use as an extremely thin-walled battery housing in cardiac pacemakers, in dental technology, or as an implant pump for patients who, for instance, suffer from excess fluid in the abdomen as a result of liver disease. 333 Orthopedics: A growing field of applications F F + na2CO3 – naF – H2O O OH – CO2 O OH MedICAL teCHnoLoGY O O evonik produces veStAKeeP® in a Class 10000 clean room, which commenced operation in April 2011 n 29 elements39 Issue 2|2012
Page 1 and 2: elements39 Quarterly Science newsle
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Page 41 and 42: At an exhibition in Darmstadt, the
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