Advanced medical plastics show their worth

Source：Ringier Plastics (Asia) Release Date：2013-08-09 254

Medical Equipment

Prospects for plastics in the medical and healthcare field have never been as buoyant, as high performance raw materials combined with technological breakthroughs in the production of medical devices and supplies have created major inroads in alleviating pains and solving health problems

IN THE MEDICAL FIELD where regulations and standards have always been stringent, plastic raw materials have successfully adhered and responded by offering alternatives that meet the needs for safety and convenience. Over the past few decades, medical devices have gone through various changes and with technological advancements, engineering plastics helped create high-performance device designs.

The use of engineered plastics has not only made life easier, better and longer, but it has helped expand opportunities in the healthcare and medical industry not only from product perspective but in packaging too. Where disposable syringes, blood bags, Intravenous tubes are commonly used plastic products, safe and secure packaging has also spurred the demand for plastics in normal medical practices.

Versatility in applications

Artificial corneas are now an option for visually impaired patients – made from special silicone/bio-mechanics, they imitate a natural cornea and can be fitted in the eye to restore vision. Prosthesis is perhaps one of the biggest examples of polymer usage in the medical industry. Orthopaedic devices not only improve the function of existing parts of the body, but in fact replace a body part, adding mobility to an otherwise immobile limb. Hearing aids are plastic implants that help revive the body’s hearing ability to, if not complete, then to a maximum level.

Sensing the impact of plastics, manufacturers in the region and otherwise have been focusing on developing and manufacturing engineering plastics specifically for the healthcare industry.

“SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business has a broad, deep and highly relevant global portfolio for the healthcare industry. Our material solutions and applications expertise can help OEMs meet current and emerging industry challenges like helping keep patients and staff safe, making devices smaller and more portable, and improving the aesthetics of devices helping increase adoption in home health care,” said Cathie Hess, Global Marketing director, Healthcare, SABIC Innovative Plastics (SABIC-IP) business.

SABIC-IP’s portfolio for healthcare includes high strength, durable resins such as Lexan HP polycarbonate (PC) resins and copolymers, and PC blends such as Xenoy (PC/PBT), Cycoloy (PC/ABS), Xylex (PC/PET), as well as non-PC polymers such as high strength Ultem HU polyetherimide resins, hydrolytically stable NORYLTM (PPO)resins, and chemically resistant Valox (PBT) resins. These materials are most frequently used by OEMs for applications ranging from surgical and patient testing to drug delivery, renal/blood care and respiratory.

More than 50 high-tech healthcare material solutions are included in SABIC’s comprehensive Healthcare Product Policy. This policy helps ensure the consistency and biocompatibility of the company’s solutions, giving customers the confidence that the material they choose will help them meet important industry regulations – such as those from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA).

“As clinical treatment and home care options continue to evolve, medical device designers and biomedical engineers are constantly challenged to make devices smaller and more portable. As devices become smaller, their internal electrical components also need to become smaller, increasing need for thermal management and flame retardance. One of the soEntrainement Nike