Evonik has developed a new type of osteoconductive polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material for the medical technology market, which can improve the fusion between human bones and implants. As a result, Evonik officially launched its new generation of PEEK-based implant materials. This new product series will be sold under the VESTAKEEP® Fusion brand.
Help bones heal faster and improve the quality of life
Thanks to a special functional additive (biphasic calcium phosphate), the new PEEK biomaterial VESTAKEEP® Fusion has bone conduction properties, which enables bone cells to attach to the implant faster, and promotes the bone and the implant. Full fusion between bones, that is, osseointegration, accelerates the speed of bone fusion and rehabilitation.
As the first product of Evonik`s new PEEK biomaterial VESTAKEEP® Fusion series, VESTAKEEP® iC4800 has excellent mechanical properties and is very similar to human bones. Like other high-performance polymers for medical use based on PEEK, this newly developed biomaterial does not produce any artifacts during imaging processes such as X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while additives are generated during the imaging process. Natural images can help accurately locate and observe the fusion process.
Develop biological materials for the specific needs of customers
Marc Knebel, head of Evonik`s medical devices and systems market, said: “The launch of the new PEEK biomaterial VESTAKEEP® Fusion series is an important step in the development of our product portfolio strategy. Thanks to Evonik`s decades of experience in polymer chemistry With domain expertise and a global innovation and production network, we can provide patients with unique products, thereby greatly improving their quality of life."
In addition to VESTAKEEP® iC4800, Evonik will also develop bioactive, more unique, and customer-specific biomaterials in the new PEEK Fusion product series for customers, namely VESTAKEEP® Fusion Select products. These products are developed based on the existing osteoconductive material library and will work closely with customers.
Outstanding thermoplastic molding process characteristics
VESTAKEEP® Fusion series are available in resin pellets, rods, plates and other profiles. Like all previous PEEK products, they are suitable for various production processes such as injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming and machining.
It has been confirmed that after VESTAKEEP® Fusion is processed by conventional injection molding, functional additives are distributed on the surface of the implant and no film is formed. Evonik cooperated with Samaplast, a Swiss company specializing in plastics engineering, to successfully verify and record this outstanding characteristic of VESTAKEEP® Fusion in the injection molding process.
In addition, Evonik`s polymer experts are developing a new generation of PEEK 3D printing filament based on VESTAKEEP® Fusion, which will be used in FFF (Fuse Manufacturing) additive manufacturing technology.
VESTAKEEP® Fusion, a new non-metallic implant
The VESTAKEEP® Fusion series launched this time is metal-free and can replace titanium, stainless steel and cobalt-chromium alloy implants. VESTAKEEP® Fusion and its osteoconductivity further expand Evonik`s existing portfolio of biomaterials that can be implanted into the human body for a long time.
For more than two decades, as the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance polymers for medical technology applications, Evonik has provided a wide range of biomaterials for the manufacture of medical devices that can be in contact with the human body for short or long periods of time.