Precise locations in surgery

With the help of Scaffolene technology, Freudenberg medical nonwoven specialists have created a solution for positioning drugs exactly where they are needed in the body before being released in a controlled manner.

Scaffolene is enabling the company to develop medical nonwovens to the precise requirements of customers in the medical technology and pharmaceutical industry and the fabric is made of bioresorbable materials that are absorbed by the body.

“For the patient, this has the advantage that no second surgery is needed to remove the product,” explains project leader Dr Denis Reibel. “During production, drugs, enzymes or growth hormones can be incorporated directly into the fabric for later application in surgery, wound healing and regenerative medicine.”

In its dry state, Scaffolene is flexible and tear-resistant and even remains stable when wet, retaining its structure and effectively resisting clumping. This means that it can be easily and safely moved into the right place in the body during surgery, for example, to stop bleeding. Thanks to its flexibility, the nonwoven material can also be used in minimally invasive surgery. The fabric can also treat surgical sites, promote healing of open wounds or rebuild bone after a fracture.

The key to various applications of Scaffolene technology lies in the production process. The composition of the bioresorbable polymers determines the biological and mechanical properties of the nonwoven, such as their degradation in the body or resistance to tearing.

Freudenberg experts began their research and development work on Scaffolene back in 2007. The initial impetus for the technology came from a gelatin manufacturer who was looking for a nonwoven made of gelatin that would dissolve in the body.

In response, Freudenberg developed a machine that was able to produce bioresorbable nonwovens at low temperatures using a rotary spinning process. The gentle spinning rotor technology enables sensitive raw materials like gelatin to be processed under clean room conditions which meet the strict requirements for medical products. This guarantees the customer reliability, as well as the consistent and safe quality of the medical nonwovens.