Ixef® resin’s strength, durability, weight and balance enable single-procedure torque limiters to mimic reusable products at a lower cost
Solvay’s medical-grade Ixef® polyarylamide (PARA) was selected by ECA Medical Instruments to manufacture its new TruTORQ® and TruPWR® family of single-procedure, precision torque limiting instruments for securing medical device implants. Solvay made the announcement in conjunction with the start of MD&M West 2022, where the company is exhibiting at booth 1370.
Ixef® PARA is ECA Medical Instruments’ choice for the majority of its products, due to the material’s high strength and stiffness, smooth surface finish, availability in several colors, and high flow for easy moldability. The company uses Ixef® PARA for the handle and instrument bodies of its new TruTORQ® and TruPWR® instruments used for critical orthopaedic and spine procedures.
“Our ongoing collaboration with ECA Medical is helping to improve the design and development of single-procedure instruments that can reduce healthcare costs while delivering high precision and performance to support positive outcomes,” said Rose Catherin, Sales Director, Americas - Channel Partners & Digital Sales at Solvay Materials. “The strength and ergonomic properties of our advanced Ixef® compounds continue to appeal to industry leaders like ECA Medical that are looking for exceptional materials backed by Solvay’s extensive training, service and support.”
TruTORQ® and TruPWR® instruments are designed to assist surgeons with the precise fixation of orthopedic and spine implants. They provide audible feedback and tactile feel features to indicate torque achievement. They deliver performance similar to that of reusable instruments while minimizing carbon footprint and lowering costs by eliminating resource-intensive, expensive reprocessing steps that involve harsh cleaning agents, large amounts of clean water for rinsing and repeated steam sterilization.
“There is growing demand worldwide for one-way instruments that are sterile pack and surgery ready to provide clinically robust solutions at a lower lifecycle cost than reusables,” said Lane Hale, president and CEO, ECA Medical Instruments. “To meet this need, we depend on Solvay’s Ixef® PARA, which enables us to mold very strong parts that mimic steel yet are less expensive, and achieve precise tolerances that are ideal for surgical procedures without creating high costs for inspection. Ixef® PARA has helped ECA Medical Instruments achieve the largest market share in the world for single-use instruments, including torque limiters for medical devices.”
Ixef® PARA compounds offer metal-like strength, rigidity and dimensional stability, while providing a high-quality surface. They are optimized for sterilization using high-energy gamma radiation without significant changes in appearance or performance, and are available in a range of gamma-stabilized colors. Solvay’s compounds have been evaluated for ISO 10993 limited duration biocompatibility and are supported by a Food & Drug Administration Master Access File.
® Ixef is a registered trademark of Solvay
® TruTORQ and TruPWR are registered trademarks of ECA Medical Instruments
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New TruTORQ® and TruPWR® family of single-procedure, precision torque limiting instruments made with Solvay’s medical-grade Ixef® polyarylamide. Photo courtesy of ECA Medical Instruments.
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Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. With more than 21,000 employees in 63 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet roadmap crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering a better life. The Group’s innovative solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices, health care applications, water and air purification systems. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of €10.1 billion in 2021. Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels and Paris (SOLB). Learn more at www.solvay.com
ECA Medical Instruments, a LongueVue Capital company, was founded in 1979 and located in Thousand Oaks, CA. ECA is the industry leader in single-procedure torque limiting instruments and surgery ready procedural sets for medical device implants. The company has manufactured and delivered over 45 million instruments to the world’s leading producers of cardiac rhythm management, neuromodulation, cardiovascular, orthopaedic and spine implants. Every 12 seconds of every day an ECA instrument is used to secure a medical implant—one patient at a time.
