Secant Medical Inc., a Perkasie, Pa.-based biomedical textile manufacturer, has established a new laboratory to perform polymer synthesis and analytical characterization of polymers, biomaterials and fibers. The addition gives Secant a more robust set of in-house services for clients and enhances its biomaterials research and development (R&D). The lab is also located in Perkasie.

“The study of biomaterials is moving toward examining the interface between materials and biological systems. Our new lab affords us the ability to probe this interface,” said Jeremy Harris, R&D lab manager at Secant Medical.

According to Secant, the lab will offer capabilities including scanning electron microscopy, elemental detection, infrared spectroscopy and imaging, UV/Vis spectrophotometry, melt-flow rheometry, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and light microscopy.

“With this lab, Secant Medical has the tools to develop biomaterials because it gives us a deeper understanding of the interaction of biomaterials, from their composition and interaction with cell biology to how they will ultimately impact device technology,” said Peter Gabriele, director of emerging technology at Secant Medical. “Biomaterials are in themselves an emerging technology. We have to understand how they behave and perform beyond the mechanical analysis—we must understand the chemical analysis.”

The lab is open and fully operational, driven by a team of chemists, chemical engineers, microbiologists and biomaterial engineers. Executives said the facility will help create quality products through material solutions that have a more efficient turnaround time.

Secant Medical designs and manufactures biomedical textiles and other structures for medical devices. The company blends polymeric, metallic, and resorbable biomaterials to create custom, high-performance structures that are used in the cardiovascular, general surgery, neurovascular, orthopedic and regenerative medicine fields.

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