Medical Implant Cleaning Using Supercritical Fluids

Today’s modern medicine allows many of us to have longer, healthier and more productive lives than our ancestors ever could have dreamed. One key part of this advancement is the use of medical implants that are made to replace and act as a missing biological structure within the body. Since the implants are placed inside the body, the cleanliness of the implant must be beyond compare. Contaminants can be introduced into the implant both in the processing of the implant and in the post-production handling.

Traditional methods for Medical Implant Cleaning have typically included solvents and water-based systems. While these methods are accepted, there are modern updates that are far more effective and do not include the potentially fatal side effects such as irritants from solvents, residue from the production process. In addition, the newer processes are environmentally friendly and safer for implant recipients because there is no residue.

Benefits of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) in Medical Implant Cleaning

• No surface tension
  Carbon Dioxide in its supercritical state has the permeability to reach into the smallest crevices of any implant. Unlike liquids, Supercritical CO₂ has no surface tension that would prevent it from reaching all of the crevices and completely cleaning the device. Supercritical CO2 goes deeply into the smallest interstices, and solubilizes impurities, such as paraffin and other binders or lubricants used in the production of the implant.
• No residue
  Another benefit to using Supercritical CO₂ is that it does not leave any residue on the implant. CO2 simply evaporates back into the atmosphere, leaving behind no potential irritants that may cause reactions inside the body. Unlike solvents there is no residue and no clean-up.
• Sterilization
  In addition to the measurable benefits listed above, it has also been reported that Supercritical Carbon Dioxide provides limited sterilization, thereby leaving a more biologically inactive surface.

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Read about the other ways SCF is being used. Supercritical Fluids will change the way you work!

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Spe-ed SFE Prime
Applied Separations has created the first teaching tool for Supercritical Fluids. Safe and affordable, this instrument is perfect for the classroom.

Supercritical Fluids (SCF) Education
As thought-leaders in the world of Supercritical Fluids, Applied Separations strikes to share its knowledge and experience to further the use of Supercricial Fluids.

Laboratory Instruments
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Pilot Plants: Small Production
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Industrial Scale Production
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Metal Injection Molding
Supercritical Fluids will revolutionize the debinding process.

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Applications
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Let Green-I-Am introduce you to the world of SCF!

Technology Overviews: What is Supercritical Fluid Extraction: A look at this green technology that uses SCF How to pack a vessel: Learn how to effectively pack a vessel for any of the Spe-edSFE instruments in our line. The Spe-ed SFE Prime from Applied Separations: Learn about this low cost instrument, created especially for the educational market. Teaching Environmentally Benign Extraction Technologies with a Cost Effective, User Friendly Instrument: This paper, presented at ACS 2008, describes the fundamentals of the supercritical fluid extraction process and the implementation of this environmentally friendly, green chemistry technique, using the low cost, student-friendly Spe-ed SFE Prime. The "Green" Extraction of Oils from Natural Products Using Supercritical Fluids: Learn how to use SCF for natural product extractions from this poster, presented at ACS 2008. SCF Product Line from Applied Separations: Check out the extensive line of Spe-edSFE instruments available from Applied Separations.    More on ASInteractive...

What is SCF? Carbon dioxide is in its supercritical fluid state when both the temperature and pressure equal or exceed the critical point of 31°C and 73 atm (see diagram). In its supercritical state, CO2 has both gas-like and liquid-like qualities, and it is this dual characteristic of supercritical fluids that provides the ideal conditions for extracting compounds with a high degree of recovery in a short period of time. By controlling or regulating pressure and temperature, the density, or solvent strength, of supercritical fluids can be altered to simulate organic solvents ranging from chloroform to methylene chloride to hexane. This dissolving power can be applied to purify, extract, fractionate, infuse, and recrystallize a wide array of materials. Because CO2 is non-polar, a polar organic co-solvent (or modifier) can be added to the supercritical fluid for processing polar compounds. By controlling the level of pressure/ temperature/ modifier, supercritical CO2 can dissolve a broad range of compounds, both polar and non-polar.