Cambridge Polymer Group

08/19/2026

Fourteen dogs developed neurologic signs after ingesting hydrogel from a commercial cooling pet pad.

After ASPCA Poison Control identified similarities across the cases, researchers investigated whether a component of the hydrogel could explain the reported findings.

Analytical testing of hydrogel from the same product line detected acrylamide at approximately 4,900 ppm. While the findings do not establish causation, they support the hypothesis that acrylamide monomer toxicosis may have contributed to the reported illnesses.

The study has been accepted for presentation at the 2026 USAHA/AAVLD Annual Meeting.

Fourteen dogs developed neurologic signs after ingesting hydrogel from a commercial cooling pet pad. When ASPCA Poison Control identified similarities across the cases, investigators sought to determine whether a component of the hydrogel could explain the clinical presentation. As a scientist at Ca...

08/13/2026

Michael S. Young's recent NACRW presentation explored a comparison that doesn't happen very often: food residue testing and medical device extractables & leachables (E&L) studies.

Both fields use many of the same analytical tools, including LC-MS and GC-MS. What's different is the question being asked.

Food residue testing often focuses on known compounds with established limits. Medical device E&L studies frequently begin with unknown compounds that must be identified and evaluated before safety assessments can proceed.

Join Michael and Becky Bader, Ph.D., CPG's Director of Regulatory Services, as they compare these approaches and discuss how analytical chemistry, toxicology, and regulatory science intersect across both industries.

📅 August 25, 2026
🕒 2:30 PM ET

Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6248001670211316058?source=FB

07/09/2026

We're excited to share that Michael S. Young, Ph.D. will be presenting at the North American Chemical Residue Workshop (NACRW) on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

His presentation, "Analytical Strategies to Identify and Quantify Extractable/Leachable Chemical Residues from Implantable Medical Devices: A Comparison with Food Safety Residue Analysis," will explore how analytical approaches used in food residue testing compare with the identification and quantification of extractable and leachable compounds in implantable medical devices.

Using examples from both fields, the talk will discuss the application of targeted and non-targeted LC-MS and GC-MS methods, as well as key differences in analytical and regulatory requirements.

📅 Wednesday, July 15, 2026
🕤 9:30–9:50 AM
📍 Room Texas A

If you're attending NACRW, we hope you'll join us for this interesting discussion at the intersection of analytical chemistry, chemical residue analysis, and medical device characterization.

07/08/2026

A cleaning process may be validated today, but will it remain defensible after a process change, a contamination event, or a notified body review?

In medical device manufacturing, cleanliness is not a one-time achievement. It requires a risk-based approach that can withstand evolving regulatory expectations, manufacturing variability, and real-world challenges.

Join us for Clean by Design: Navigating Medical Device Cleanliness Through Validation, Regulatory Alignment, and Failure Response and learn how to build, maintain, and defend effective cleaning validation programs.

Industry experts Stephen Spiegelberg of Cambridge Polymer Group and Jeffrey Rufner of JAR Consulting will explore:
🔹 Initial cleaning validation and revalidation triggers
🔹 Regulatory scrutiny and notified body challenges
🔹 Excursions in established cleaning processes

You'll gain practical insights on how to:
• Define and justify cleanliness requirements using risk-based approaches
• Interpret cleaning results in context
• Strengthen validation strategies for regulatory review
• Assess the impact of process changes and excursions
• Support both compliance and patient safety through informed decision-making

Whether you work in Quality, Validation, Manufacturing Engineering, Regulatory Affairs, or Process Development, this webinar will provide actionable guidance for managing device cleanliness with confidence.

📅 July 22, 2026
🕑 2:00–3:00 PM EDT

Reserve your spot today: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8566811218896187480?source=FB

07/06/2026

There’s more to replicating real tissue than matching how it looks or feels.

The most important behaviors are often the hardest to reproduce:

• How tissue cuts, chars, and changes during a procedure
• How it responds to different forms of energy, from sound waves to X-rays
• The feel, resistance, and feedback tissue provides during surgical manipulation and intervention

These interactions can have a significant impact on training realism, device development, and performance evaluation.

Cambridge Polymer Group partnered with Pulse Medical Demonstration Models (Pulse MDM) during the development of E Tissue®, applying our expertise in hydrogel formulation and characterization to help replicate key aspects of tissue response during electrosurgery.

What's exciting is that the underlying material science extends far beyond electrocautery. The same hydrogel design principles can be applied to training models, device development, robotics, haptics, and other applications where realistic, repeatable tissue analogs are needed.

Learn more about the science behind engineering tissue response:
🔗 https://www.campoly.com/blog/engineering-realistic-tissue-response-enabling-electrosurgical-training-and-beyond/

Learn about E Tissue®:
🔗 https://pulsemdm.com/portfolio/electrocautery-non-biologic-e-tissue/

07/02/2026

Celebrating Independence Day with a Little Materials Science Flair! 🎆

At Cambridge Polymer Group, we know that some of the brightest fireworks owe their brilliant colors to chemistry:

🔵 Copper (Cu) creates vibrant blue hues
⚪ Magnesium (Mg) produces dazzling white light
🔴 Strontium (Sr) delivers the iconic red bursts

As we celebrate the science behind Independence Day, we'd like to wish our clients, partners, and colleagues a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.

📢 Please note: Cambridge Polymer Group will be closed July 3–5, 2026, in observance of Independence Day. We will resume normal business operations on Monday, July 6.

Happy Fourth of July!

06/16/2026

We had a great time last Wednesday at the FORGE Spring Startup Showcase in Union Square!

Those bright blue “eggs” on our table got a lot of attention, and for good reason. They contain a PDMS-based putty we use to demonstrate how material composition directly influences behavior. It’s a hands-on way to bring material science concepts to life and spark deeper conversations.

We loved connecting with founders and innovators working through everything from early-stage feasibility to scaling challenges.

Big thanks to the FORGE team for bringing together such a dynamic group and hosting a fantastic event.

If you stopped by to chat, we’d love to keep the conversation going—reach out anytime.

05/24/2026

Please note that Cambridge Polymer Group will be closed on Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day.

We will reopen with regular business hours on Tuesday, May 26.

05/18/2026

When you're developing a medical device, the quality of your test reports can make or break a regulatory submission.

It's not just about having data, it's about having data that's traceable, reproducible, and documented well enough to stand up to scrutiny. That means calibration records, test conditions, sample descriptions, clear comparison to acceptance criteria, and yes, documented failures too.

ASTM F3766 (published in 2025) now gives labs a concrete framework for getting this right. At CPG, it's how we've always approached reporting, because a report that's hard to follow is a problem your team inherits.

We wrote about what goes into a regulatory-ready test report on the blog. Link in the comments if you want to dig in.

05/07/2026

📣 Final Day at American Coatings Show! 🎨

It’s your last chance to connect with the Cambridge Polymer Group team at Booth 708. Stop by before the show wraps up!

🧪 Don’t miss today’s featured talk at the Product Presentation Stage:
“Why Shear Rheology Is Only Part of the Story”
🗓 Thursday, May 7
⏰ 11:45 AM

This session dives into the difference between “sticky” vs. “slimy” behavior and why understanding more than just shear rheology is key to real-world coatings performance.

Swing by Booth 708 to keep the conversation going, explore our expertise, and see how we can support your next innovation.

We look forward to seeing you on the show floor before it’s over!