Alpharetta, Ga., Feb. 11, 2016 - Solvay Specialty Polymers, a leading global supplier of high-performance thermoplastics, announced today that its Radel® R-5000 polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) helped Biorep Technologies innovate a new, improved model of its patented Ricordi chamber, used to isolate healthy pancreatic tissue cells for clinical transplants. Solvay's tough, transparent, biocompatible polymer replaces polyetherimide (PEI) as the chamber material to deliver superior moldability, higher transparency and improved resistance to repeated steam sterilization.

Named after its inventor, Camillo Ricordi, the chamber is a transparent repository with a fastened cover that works in tandem with Biorep's Ricordi Islet Isolator machine. The combined platform enhances the disassembling of pancreatic tissue via a combined enzymatic and mechanical digestion while preserving endocrine cell cluster integrity. In more practical terms, the chamber enables isolation of large numbers of insulin-producing cells (islet cells) from the human pancreas for clinical transplants aimed at reversing diabetes in recipients. Biorep's Ricordi chamber is used by laboratories worldwide to prepare clinical islet transplants.

'Originally produced out of machined stainless steel, Dr. Ricordi's chamber immediately became an emblem of state-of-the-art medical innovation,' said Felipe Echeverri, managing director for Biorep Technologies. 'While our decision to injection mold the chamber from PEI signaled an important step in the chamber's evolution, the shift to Solvay's Radel® R-5000 PPSU enables entirely new design options for replacing the chamber's metal fittings and improving its overall performance, functionality and reliability.'

Shortage of PEI initially prompted Biorep to seek an alternative that could deliver similar or better performance as PEI. Their search led them to select Radel® R-5000 PPSU, which Echeverri said exceeds their expectations. Solvay's material, for example, offers comparatively higher flow to allow fabrication of finer features. Specifically, it enabled Biorep to eliminate three stainless steel fittings on the top and bottom of its design by instead allowing them to be become another molded part of the polymer chamber. In addition to saving time and money, this eliminated the risk of cracked parts caused by the disparate rate of thermal expansion between steel and polymer.

In addition, Radel® R-5000 PPSU offers much greater resistance than PEI to steam sterilization. Solvay's material has been tested to withstand 1,000 autoclave cycles, as opposed to the 100 cycles the PEI-based chamber had delivered. Radel® R-5000 PPSU further offers improved transparency, which is important to monitor the digestion process within the Ricordi chamber. It also delivers exceptional toughness and hydrolytic stability at high temperatures.

Radel® R-5000 PPSU has been tested under ISO 10993 biocompatibility standards for cytotoxicity, irritation and acute systemic toxicity, and a master access file (MAF) for medical devices is on record with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Solvay Specialty Polymers' experience as a reliable materials supplier in the healthcare field spans more than 25 years. The company is a leading manufacturer of healthcare plastics, offering a broad range of high-performance medical-grade plastics for devices, instruments, and equipment. Solvay also offers a family of Solviva® Biomaterials for use in a range of implantable devices.

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Solvay SA issued this content on 11 February 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 11 February 2016 17:07:18 UTC

Original Document: http://www.solvay.com/en/media/press_releases/20160211-Biorep-Chooses-Radel-for-Biorecordi-Chamber.html