Revolutionary sterilizable material

Solvay announced at the 37th International Dental Show (IDS) that its high-performance Radel® polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) can be used in the production of revolutionary reusable SALUS® - Hygiene Sterility Maintenance Instrument Container with excellent chemical resistance and biocompatibility, as well as the ability to retain transparency and mechanical properties after repeated steam sterilizations. SciCan designed its cost-effective new container to maintain the sterility of dental hygiene instruments for up to thirty days, and offer an alternative to the inefficient and wasteful use of sterilization paper and pouches.

 

“Wrapping sterilized instruments in paper is time consuming, while conventional reusable instrument containers made of stainless steel or aluminum can be costly due to the expensive fabrication methods they demand,”said Stefan Conrad, director of the Dental Business Unit at SciCan, a full spectrum infection control solutions provider. “We sought to design a third alternative that would save both time and money – a reusable container molded from a durable, transparent polymer. However, specifying a suitable polymer for this application proved challenging. After reviewing several candidate materials, we found that Solvay’s Radel® PPSU easily met all of our criteria.”

 

Currently commercially available only in Canada and Europe, the SALUS® - Hygiene Sterility Maintenance Instrument Container comprises a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) instrument tray that fits into an exterior sleeve molded from Radel® PPSU. Solvay’s material also forms a transparent window through which users can view the items within and confirm the instruments have been exposed to steam sterilization conditions based on chemical indicator results. Alternative materials considered for the sleeve window, such as polyetherimide (PEI), darkened after undergoing 1,000 cycles in SciCan’s tabletop autoclave. Radel® PPSU, in contrast, withstood up to 3,000 cycles without any change in transparency.

 

The high heat resistance and excellent hydrolytic stability of Radel® PPSU make it an excellent choice for medical devices requiring repeated steam sterilization. Parts molded from the material can withstand over 1,000 autoclave cycles without any significant loss of properties. Solvay’s advanced PPSU also offers a high heat deflection temperature of 207°C (405°F), superior toughness and impact strength and better chemical resistance than either polysulfone (PSU) or PEI. 

 

SciCan’s innovative SALUS® - Hygiene Sterility Maintenance Instrument Container is another excellent example of how Solvay’s high-performance Radel® PPSU enables ground-breaking innovation in the healthcare field. One of several biocompatible resins available from Solvay’s portfolio, Radel® PPSU’s unique combination of advanced performance properties is helping industry-leading collaborators like SciCan to solve today’s most difficult design challenges and deliver cutting-edge new solutions.

 

Solvay’s experience as a reliable materials supplier in the healthcare field spans more than 25 years. The company is a leading manufacturer of healthcare plastics, offering a broad range of high-performance, medical-grade plastics for orthopedics, sterilization cases and trays, medical and dental devices, as well as filtration media and housings for hemodialysis and water purification membranes. Solvay also offers a family of Solviva® Biomaterials for use in a range of implantable devices.

 

 

Based in Toronto, Canada, SciCan Ltd. is a full spectrum infection control solutions provider working together with industry professionals and regulators to provide the market with the most innovative and effective products available. However, SciCan is more than just products. SciCan Infection Control experts bring with them solutions resulting from years of experience in design, work flow and sound ergonomics. SciCan’s knowledge of infection control is evident in its design and planning approach which is made available to customers before, during and after the process of upgrading or redesigning your facility. SciCan’s solutions can be applied to the largest ASC, multi-office dental practice, or the smallest clinic.  

 

Solvay Specialty Polymers manufactures over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra-high performance polymers, high barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds – for use various sectors. The company has been innovating and partnering  with customers in diverse global end markets. Its products and solutions are used in planes, cars, smart and medical devices, batteries, in mineral and oil extraction, among many other applications promoting sustainability. Its lightweighting materials enhance cleaner mobility, its formulations optimize the use of resources and its performance chemicals improve air and water quality.