Calcium Sulfate

What is Calcium Sulfate?

Calcium sulfate dihydrate, also known as gypsum, is a compound that can be naturally occurring or synthetically produced. When heated, gypsum converts to the partially hydrated compound calcium sulfate hemihydrate, also known as plaster of Paris. When mixed with a liquid solution, calcium sulfate hemihydrate will set to form a rigid crystal lattice.

Calcium sulfate
dihydrate
CaSO4 • 2 H20
Powder

Heat

Calcium sulfate
hemihydrate
CaSO4 • 0.5 H20
Powder

Liquid

Calcium sulfate
dihydrate
CaSO4 • 2 H20
Solid

Calcium sulfate uses include: building materials, soil treatments and food additives. When engineered for high purity, calcium sulfate has medical applications as a local antibiotic delivery device.

Benefits of Calcium Sulfate for
Local Antibiotic Delivery

Antibiotics added to medical grade calcium sulfate by a veterinarian are molded to form beads which are implanted at sites where infection is present or anticipated. The beads are gradually absorbed, delivering high levels of antibiotics at the local site, while reducing the risk of potential systemic toxicity.

Medical grade
calcium
sulfate hemihydrate

Antibiotics

Liquid solution

Antibiotic beads

Implanted at sites
of infection

Medical grade calcium sulfate has the following properties making it ideal for local antibiotic delivery:

Biocompatibility

Fully absorbed by the body

Predictable elution properties

Optimal resorption rate of 3 to 5 weeks

Ability to fill
dead space

Osteoconductivity

See ‘Supporting Research’ for safety and efficacy of calcium sulfate, as documented through human and veterinary studies.

For a safe, reliable solution for your infection cases - KERRIER delivers!