Wyatt Technology Instruments employed to develop alternative materials to silicone breast implants

Wyatt Technology Corporation today announced that Professor Judit E. Puskas at the University of Akron has developed a system using its instrumentation that will also help to solve a prevalent and particularly controversial material science challenge. The researchers are employing the multi detector system to develop alternative materials to silicone breast implants. This development will be welcomed by many as faulty Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) implants are causing global concern about implant safety, and as a result, alternative materials are sought.

The recent scandal concerning French-made PIP implants concerns thousands of women across 65 countries with 300,000 potentially harmful implants sold over the last 12 years. It was revealed that these implants contained industrial silicone, intended for use in mattresses, rather than medical-grade silicone fillers.

Currently, only silicon rubber-based silica nanocomposite implants are available in the United States, and are subject to a number of issues including capsular contracture, gel bleed, implant rupture and infection. These prevalent issues have led to the need for material scientists and medical doctors to work together to develop alternative materials based on new nanotechnology.

The University of Akron’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is employing macromolecular engineering to precision synthesize biocompatible polymers in order to produce high performance bionanocomposites for use as silicone alternatives. Professor Puskas combined six Stryagel columns with a Wyatt Technology ViscoStar viscometer, a Wyatt Optilab Refractive Index detector, a Wyatt DAWN 18-angle light scattering (MALS) detector as well as a Wyatt quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) detector to provide accurate characterization of the separated macromolecules.

Traditionally, a simpler system would have been employed that is commonly used with column calibration to polymer standards, or 3-angle light scattering. The system using Wyatt instrumentation delivers the accurate and reproducible results needed by when performing these cutting-edge polymer studies.

“The Wyatt instruments are outstanding,” comments Professor Puskas. “The 18-angle system provides better quality than any alternatives on the market, providing more accurate and precise data. Other cheaper instruments have come onto the market, but in my experience Wyatt’s instruments far exceed the competition in terms of quality and service.”

The research group is part of an interdisciplinary group which is pursuing research aimed at reducing/eliminating capsular contracture associated with breast implants to help women in need. Material science and nanotechnology are a key element of this, supported by top class instrumentation.

For more information on Wyatt Technology’s instruments, please visit www.wyatt.com