Evonik
Evonik RESOMER PrintPowder
Evonik has developed a bioresorbable polymer which can be processed on Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing equipment.
The company believes the material, being marketed as RESOMER PrintPowder, is the first of its kind and has been designed to enable the 3D printing of complex bioresorbable medical devices. RESOMER is a 30-year-old brand consisting of more than a dozen bioresorbable polymers developed for the production of implants, controlled release drugs and regenerative medicines, but the RESOMER PrintPowder is the first in the family developed for 3D printing.
Evonik says the material is a free-flowing powder with tight specifications and an optimised particle size distribution for more efficient processability. The company has also highlighted how its advanced powder preparation capabilities can ‘facilitate the supply of ISO 13485-certified formulations for development and commercial use.’
The RESOMER PrintPowder can be harnessed to additively manufacture craniomaxillofacial plates, spinal fusion cages, scaffolds for soft tissue repair and dental mesh, among other devices, and is said to deliver patient healing enhancement and increased device performance, per Evonik. Customisation options, which are available on request, can also enable improvements to the medical device around strength, durability and stress shielding prevention.
Evonik will now offer the RESOMER PrintPowder to its comprehensive customer base, supplying feasibility samples using its own SLS equipment, as well as testing, analysis, characterisation and regulatory services.
“The free-flowing processability of RESOMER PrintPowder will, for the first time, allow medical device companies to utilise SLS 3D printing technologies to create complex bioresorbable implants with precisely tailored mechanical properties,” commented Dr. Jeal-Luc Herbeaux, SVP and General Manager of the Health Care business line. “With the launch of RESOMER PrintPowder, Evonik becomes the first commercial GMP supplier of bioresorbable polymers with a complete portfolio of powders, filaments and granules suitable for use with all core 3D printing technologies.”
