Medical Plastics Are Facilitating a New Frontier of More Types of Outpatient Treatments, Less Invasive Procedures and Longer Lasting Materials

Medical Plastics are facilitating a new frontier of more types of outpatient treatments, less invasive procedures and longer lasting materials. Plus, antimicrobial plastics cut down on infections. If you’re looking for a healthier cost-effective alternative for medical materials, check out plastics!

Applications

• Surgical instrument handles/grips • Dental instrument handles/grips • Orthopedic implants • Pacemaker leads • Endoscopic housing/eyepieces • Sterilization trays/caddies • X-ray and MRI parts • Dialysis machines housings • Respiratory units • Pharmaceutical production/packaging • Fluid distribution-valve housings/ nozzles • IV and infusion devices Materials Did you know? • Diagnostic systems • Feeding tubes • Acetal Copolymer (POM) In the high performance medical device market, • Catheters • Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC) the goal is to save thousands or tens of thousands • Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) of dollars per patient treated, not a few cents per • Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) device manufactured. Advantages May Include • Polycarbonate (PC) • Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) • Low manufacturing costs • Polyethylene (PE) • Low friction and wear • Polyetherimide (PEI) • Lightweight • Polymethyl Pentene (PMP) • Resistant to high temperature, impact, • Polyphenylene Oxide (PPO) chemicals • Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) • Color coding options • Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) • Easy to create ergonomic designs • Polypropylene (PP) • Maintains physical properties under • Polysulfone (PSU) thermal, chemical or electrical stress • Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) • Good strength, toughness and hardness • PVC/Acrylic Alloy Sheet • Can handle repeated sterilization • Silicone (SI) • Antimicrobial options • Styrene Acrylonitrile Copolymer (SAN) • Excellent wear properties • Styrene Maleic Anhydride-Polycarbonate • Low-friction performance (SMA-PC) • High purity • Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) • Meets health regulations • Thermoplastic Polyester (PBT) • Meets precise dimensions • Thermoset composits (phenolics) • Abrasion and shatter resistant • Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene • Excellent thermal and oxidative stability (UHMW-PE)

Environmental and Safety

Considering the total carbon footprint, including costs of raw materials, manufacture, transport, fabricate, install, maintain, plastics compare favorably with more traditional materials. Also, plastics are safer to handle and install. When you consider that most plastics are readily recyclable, they can become the most environmentally responsible and safest choice for many demanding medical applications.