CPG Scientist Elected to a Post at ASTM
CPG researcher Dr. Stephen Spiegelberg was recently elected to the post of Recording Secretary for ASTM Committee F04 “Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices”. Click here for more information on the committee. The committee’s 160 members meet biannually, attending over two days of technical meetings capped by a symposium or workshop on relevant topics in […]
Visit CPG at the Medical Grade Polymer 2013 Technical Conference
17-18 September 2013 Crowne Plaza, Boston/Woburn, Massachusetts Click here for more information Stop by booth 10 and take a look at what we’ve been working on!Cambridge Polymer Group is your premier contract research resource solving problems with our multi-disciplinary research team and full service laboratory. We provide routine analytical testing on materials, custom test design, […]
Birefringence in Crystalline Polymers
Polarized light microscopy is an effective tool to examine the crystalline structure of materials. In this technique, a sample is placed between two polarizers which are oriented 90 degrees to each other, or are “crossed”. Light is transmitted through the polarizers and samples into an objective. Light travelling through the first polarizer becomes polarized in […]
CPG Opens West Coast Office
August 2013 – Cambridge Polymer Group Announces The Opening Of A New West Coast Office Cambridge Polymer Group has expanded its operation with the opening of a West Coast office to support growing demand for materials consultation. The new office will be run by Ayyana Chakravartula, PhD. (617) 629-4400 Ext. 23, and is located in […]
Testing of Woven Material
Woven structures are increasingly making their way into medical devices. Ligament and tendon replacements, surgical mesh for hernias, vascular grafts, and composite structures all make use of weaving technology using polymeric fibers. Proper characterization of the woven system can help ensure it will be the load requirements of the final application. Common testing, beyond biocompatibility, […]
Are there Plasticizers in My Duck?
Plasticizers are typically added to polymers (especially PVC) to increase material flexibility. Such materials are found in a broad range of applications, such as construction materials, cosmetics, medical devices, children’s toys. The type and percent content of plasticizer directly affects the material’s mechanical properties. However, substantial concerns have been raised over the safety of some […]
A Look Back at InterOp
In 2000, the orthopedic community received a wake up call when one manufacturer, Sulzer, began to receive notices from surgeons that one of their acetabular shells, the InterOp, was failing to show osseointegration in a number of patients after a few months. The InterOp was designed with a titanium porous back to allow fixation by […]
Custom Labview Coding
LabView, made by National Instruments, is a versatile programming language that has good application for laboratory equipment automation, motion control, image collection, and data analysis. Engineers and scientists at Cambridge Polymer Group routinely use LabView in their design of custom analytical instruments to characterize materials. The LabView code allows the users to set up the […]
Are My Polymers Branched?
Polymers can be classified as linear or branched. Branched polymers contain chains hanging off the backbone of the polymer, which could include a single side chain or multiple side chains. Linear polymers do not have branches. Branching can strongly influence the processing behavior and ultimate properties of a polymer. In the melt state, branching will […]
Updates From May 2013 ASTM Meeting
The Spring ASTM meeting of F04 (Biomedical Materials and Devices) met in Indianapolis, IN this week. Some key highlights of the meeting are as follows: Cleanliness of Biomedical Devices The standard for shipping of potentially infectious tissues and devices was approved, and is now available as ASTM F2995-13. ASTM F561 (Device retrieval) will be amended […]