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Issue: September 2008, page: 6
Polyetherimide resin allows diabetes system to be mass produced
A system for isolating insulin-producing cells faster and more efficiently has been mass-produced by switching from stainless steel to polyetherimide (PEI) resin. Biorep Technologies of Miami, FL, USA, used a resin from the healthcare range of SABIC Innovative Plastics to produce a lighter translucent version of the “Ricordi chamber”, which is used to break down the pancreas mechanically and chemically to isolate the islets (insulin-producing cells from a donor’s pancreas) for transplantation in patients whose Type-1 diabetes cannot be controlled with insulin injections. The chamber, invented by Dr Camillo Ricordi of the Diabetes Research Institute in Miami, was originally custom-made from stainless steel, which was quite heavy to shake during the 30–45 min isolation process and prevented doctors from visually assessing the progress of the breaking down of the pancreas.
