Solvay entering medical device market

Belgium-based material supplier Solvay S.A. is entering into the medical device sector with a new dental care business line.

Called “Solvay Dental 360”, the new business unit will use what Solvay called “an innovative material” to replace metal in removable partial denture frames.

The goal of the Solvay Dental 360 business unit is to replace metal with polymers in partial dentures.

In a statement, Solvay said its Ultaire AKP (aryl ketone polymer) material enables the design of metal-free frames that are biocompatible and more than 60 per cent lighter than a metal frame. Solvay uses the Ultaire AKP material to make the Dentivera milling disc. Using this device and compatible software, lab technicians can design and mill the RPD frame faster and more efficiently than a metal frame, as fewer manufacturing steps are needed, the company said.

“Solvay’s entrepreneurial initiative to launch into medical devices is driven by our innovation power as a world leader in metal-replacing materials and their proven track record in healthcare,” said Solvay CEO Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, CEO.