Syensqo Advances Material Performance In Cardiothoracic Care
Ixef® PARA at the core of Thoracic Innovations’ BlueBridge Sternal Spacer, now in use with patients
Syensqo, a leading global provider of high-performance materials, has worked with medical device innovator Thoracic Innovations on its BlueBridge Modular Sternal Spacer, a device designed to support patients following complex heart and chest surgery.
Following complex cardiothoracic procedures, surgeons may need to temporarily leave a patient’s chest open before it can be safely closed, making it essential to maintain appropriate spacing and stability during this period.
Thoracic Innovations developed BlueBridge as a standardized, purpose-designed solutions to help healthcare teams manage the patients in intensive care with a modular, adjustable design that can be secured to the chest wall to maintain appropriate mediastinal space, protect the heart and provide stability until final chest closure can take place.
To meet the demanding requirements of the application, Thoracic Innovations selected Ixef® PARA GS-1022 BU01, a 50% glass-fiber reinforced polyarylamide. The material provides the strength, stiffness, and dimensional stability required for the device while allowing precise and efficient molding of its components. Ixef® PARA is also compatible with imaging modalities often required in cardiothoracic patients, such as chest X-ray, coronary angiography, CT scan and MRI.
Syensqo worked closely with Thoracic Innovations throughout the development process, providing expertise in material selection as well as technical and regulatory support to help bring BlueBridge into clinical use.
“Syensqo was an important partner as we developed BlueBridge, helping us navigate material selection as the design evolved and providing the technical and regulatory information we needed,” said Luiz Maracaja, MD, Founder of Thoracic Innovations. “Ixef® PARA gives us the combination of strength, precision and healthcare material performance required for this demanding application.”
“Our collaboration with Thoracic Innovations demonstrates how material expertise can contribute from the earliest stages of medical device development,” said Sophie Dufour, Account Manager at Syensqo. “By working closely with their team, we were able to identify Ixef® PARA as the right fit for the evolving application and support them with the technical and regulatory information needed along the way.”
BlueBridge is commercially available in the United States and has been used in more than 100 patients undergoing complex cardiothoracic procedures. The collaboration reinforces Syensqo’s commitment to helping medical device innovators translate new concepts into practical healthcare solutions through advanced materials, technical expertise, and regulatory support.
**Ixef® is a registered trademark of Syensqo.
