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DSM Dyneema Partners with Biomedical Structures, Cortland Company and Secant Medical

Providing engineers and product developers a first-hand experience with Dyneema Purity BLUE, DSM Dyneema will be showcasing the innovative fiber at the DSM Biomedical Booth #741 during the Medical Design and Manufacturing East Conference & Exposition (MD&M East).

"Dyneema Purity BLUE is a groundbreaking fiber for the medical community, providing surgeons with the innovative advantage of color differentiation and uncompromised strength in arthroscopic procedures," said Erik Becker, Application Manager Medical, DSM Dyneema. "We are very proud to collaborate with the industry's leading medical textile contractors who have a proven track record of successfully designing and manufacturing biomedical textile structures with Dyneema Purity, which are used in commercial medical devices for various orthopedic and cardiovascular applications."

Dyneema Purity BLUE is a colored 100% UHMWPE fiber that can be used to develop a high strength suture alone or in combination with standard (white) Dyneema Purity without the need to use colored polyester or nylon strands in its construction to offer surgeons uncompromised strength and color variety. In fact, several different patterns of braid can be developed to offer surgeons bright contrast among the different sutures, including various white/blue combinations, as well as solid blue.

"With material selection becoming paramount to the performance of Medical Devices and Components, we recognize the value that DSM has brought to this market through their Dyneema Purity line of UHMWPE fibers," said John Gray, President of Biomedical Structures. "Joining the materials expertise of the DSM Dyneema team with Biomedical Structures' advanced biosurgical textile design and fabrication capabilities will add immeasurable value to the new product design and production processes."

"We look forward to leveraging our complementary capabilities, products and skill sets to provide an expanded range of design solutions for the medical device market," states Karen West, general manager of Secant Medical's Advanced Technology and Materials Group. "The resulting partnership will allow us to utilize the collaboration, quality and scientific support we bring to the table."

Dyneema Purity BLUE maintains the same proprietary features of Dyneema Purity, including its maximum strength at 15 times stronger than quality steel while also offering a lower profile, softness and abrasion resistance. The fiber's elongation and fatigue resistance offer a superior alternative to traditional materials for surgeons and medical device manufacturers. The blue UHMWPE fiber has good local tolerance according to ISO 10993:06. The fiber offers low irritation and low inflammatory levels when compared to other implantable materials such as polyester and has the same advanced biocompatibility as Dyneema Purity SGX which has been in use in orthopedic sutures since 2004.

To learn more about Dyneema Purity BLUE please visit www.dyneemapurity.com or the DSM Biomedical Booth #741 at MD&M East 2010.

About DSM Dyneema

DSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema, the world's strongest fiber and Dyneema Purity. Dyneema^® and Dyneema Purity are ultra strong polyethylene fibers that offer maximum strength combined with minimum weight. They are up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibers, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema and Dyneema Purity float on water and are extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. The applications are therefore more or less unlimited. Dyneema is an important component in ropes, cables and nets in the fishing, shipping and offshore industries. Dyneema is also used in safety gloves for the metalworking industry and in fine yarns for applications in sporting goods as well as in bullet resistant armor and clothing for police and military personnel. In addition, Dyneema Purity is used in medical implant applications. Dyneema is produced in Heerlen (The Netherlands), Flaach (Switzerland) and in Greenville, North Carolina (U.S.A.). Dyneema Purity is produced in Heerlen (The Netherlands). DSM Dyneema is also a partner in a high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) manufacturing joint venture in Japan. Further information on DSM Dyneema is available at www.dyneema.com and www.dyneemapurity.com.

About DSM Biomedical

DSM Biomedical develops novel materials-based solutions to meet the present and future needs of the medical device and biopharmaceutical industries. Building on the expertise and strengths of DSM and its acquisition of The Polymer Technology Group, which is now known as DSM PTG, the company's product portfolio includes coatings, drug delivery platforms and a wide range of biomedical materials for use in short- and long-term implantable medical devices. Key product brands include Bionate PCU and CarboSil TSPCU, two of the most extensively tested biomedical polymers ever developed. Both polymers have excellent biostability, high strength and abrasion resistance, making them candidate materials for load-bearing orthopedic implants. ComfortCoat hydrophilic and antimicrobial coating technology for catheters, guidewires and stent delivery systems; and Dyneema Purity, a high-performance polyethylene fiber technology developed specifically for use in medical applications, such as orthopedic implants. The company also markets the Trancerta family of bioresorbable materials for drug delivery. This portfolio is based on DSM's core strengths in materials science combined with its extensive in-house library of synthesis methods, formulation and processing techniques. For more information, visit www.dsmbiomedical.com.

DSM - the Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company

Royal DSM N.V. creates solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance. Its end markets include human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, coatings and paint, electrical and electronics, life protection and housing. DSM manages its business with a focus on the triple bottom line of economic performance, environmental quality and social responsibility, which it pursues simultaneously and in parallel. DSM has annual net sales of about €8 billion and employs some 22,700 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations on five continents. DSM is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information: www.dsm.com.

Dyneema, Dyneema Purity and Dyneema®, the world's strongest fiber are trademarks of Royal DSM. Use of these trademarks is prohibited unless strictly authorized.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Kwittken & Company
Gabrielle Zucker, 646-747-7143
gzucker@kwitco.com