cardiovascular
Purity and Performance for Cardiovascular Implants
Purity, biocompatibility, and performance rank high on the list of requirements for implantable cardiovascular materials, and rightly so. Thanks to a long list of inherent characteristics, PEEK-OPTIMA® polymer is a highly successful advanced polymer used in life-sustaining cardiovascular implantation applications, including ventricular assist devices and intra-cardiac pump systems.
Key benefits for cardiovascular applications include:- Exceptional purity, biocompatibility and reliability
- Injection molding of small, precise parts, including thin-walled components and very smooth surfaces
- Design flexibility
- Lower weight than comparable metal parts
- Strength allows smaller, thinner parts that meet mechanical requirements
- Capable of withstanding cyclic loading
Minimally Invasive Implants with High-performing PEEK-OPTIMA
Percutaneous Left Ventricular Assist Device
A leading manufacturer of devices for acute circulatory support selected PEEK-OPTIMA for a critical component of a minimally invasive percutaneous ventricular assist device (VAD). The biocompatible polymer is used for the rotating helix pump, which pumps blood from the left ventricle into the aorta. Doing so actively unloads the heart during, and in the first days following, heart surgery. The ability to process PEEK-OPTIMA using injection molding results in a small, precise part that also provides a very smooth surface, which is difficult to achieve with machining. Additionally, the material properties of the polymer allow a light weight, thin-walled part that meets the mechanical strength requirements of the application within the small-diameter device.
Contact Invibio® to learn more about using our biocompatible polymers in cardiovascular applications.
