Origin

Solving the Hardest Sterilization Problem in Medicine

Transplant tissue must be sterile and biologically functional. PuroGen has spent its entire history proving these goals are not mutually exclusive.

The Challenge

Sterility vs. Biological Function

Gamma irradiation achieves sterility — but at the cost of the very properties that make transplant tissue work. Mechanical strength, osteoinductivity, growth factors — all degraded by the radiation dose required for sterility assurance.

The tissue processing industry has long accepted this trade-off as unavoidable. Irradiate to sterilize, accept the biological damage, and compensate with higher doses of tissue or augmented surgical techniques.

Surgeons increasingly reject this compromise. The clinical trend toward non-irradiated tissue reflects a growing understanding that preserved biological activity translates directly to better patient outcomes — faster fusion, stronger integration, reduced complications.

PuroGen recognized this from the beginning. The result is a portfolio of sterilization technologies — T10⁶® and SteriFlex™ — purpose-built to achieve terminal sterilization without biological compromise.

Heritage

Three Decades of Innovation

From foundational biomedical research to the first commercially approved non-irradiated tissue products — a timeline of invention that predates the industry's recognition of the need.

1996

Biomedical R&D in Allograft Tissue Processing

Foundational research into sterilization methods that preserve the biological properties essential for successful transplantation outcomes.

1999

First Cannula-Based Delivery System

Developed the first cannula-based delivery system for minimally invasive spinal fusion — translating tissue processing expertise into surgical innovation.

2001

Allograft Implant Technologies Commercialized

Multiple allograft implant technologies brought to market including bone void fillers and spinal fusion devices. Real-world clinical validation begins.

2006

T10⁶® — Supercritical CO₂ Sterilization

First non-irradiated supercritical CO₂ sterilization process for allograft tissue. PuroGen pioneers a method the industry wouldn't recognize for nearly two decades.

2010

SteriFlex® Formalized

First non-irradiated tissue products approved in both the United States and Canada. VHP-based sterilization moves from laboratory validation to regulated commercial use.

T10⁶® Technology

Supercritical CO₂ Sterilization

T10⁶ uses supercritical carbon dioxide — CO₂ pressurized beyond its critical point where it exhibits properties of both liquid and gas — to achieve terminal sterilization of biological tissue without irradiation.

The supercritical state enables penetration into dense tissue matrices while preserving the structural proteins, growth factors, and mechanical properties that determine transplant success.

PuroGen developed and validated this process in 2006. Nearly two decades later, Scientific American covered supercritical CO₂ sterilization as an “emerging” technology in 2024. We pioneered it.

2006

PuroGen validates supercritical CO₂ sterilization — nearly two decades ahead of industry recognition

What scCO₂ Preserves

Osteoinductive potential
Osteoconductive architecture
Mechanical strength
Endogenous growth factors
Collagen matrix integrity

Clinical Impact

Validated Through Clinical Use

PuroGen-processed tissue has been used in real-world surgical applications across multiple tissue categories — providing clinical evidence that non-irradiated sterilization produces superior biological outcomes.

Bone

Cortical, cancellous, and demineralized bone matrix

Tendon

Structural allografts preserving mechanical properties

Soft Tissue

Dermal, fascia, and amniotic membrane products

SAL 10⁻⁶

Terminal sterilization achieved without irradiation

US & Canada

First non-irradiated tissue products approved in both markets

30 Years

Continuous R&D in tissue processing and sterilization

Market Position

Why It Matters Now

The tissue processing market is shifting. Surgeon preference, clinical evidence, and regulatory evolution are converging on non-irradiated solutions as the standard of care for biological tissue transplantation.

Companies entering this space today face years of development, validation, and regulatory navigation. PuroGen has already completed that journey — with the longest track record of non-irradiated tissue sterilization in the industry.

The market is arriving at where PuroGen has been for three decades.

Partner with the Pioneers of Non-Irradiated Tissue Sterilization

Whether you're developing a new tissue product, transitioning from irradiation, or exploring strategic collaboration — PuroGen brings unmatched depth and a proven platform.