The hottest medical plastic improves the cure rate

Medical plastics improve the cure rate

the medical plastics industry accounts for 1% of the total plastic market in the world. This may sound too little, but the plastic industry generally believes that the 1% it uses is an essential part. The application of plastics in the professional medical field provides it with a great market development prospect, and the prediction of its growth rate in the next few years is a good proof. Material manufacturers have joined the promising ranks of medical plastics. With the improvement of life expectancy and quality of life, this industrial field has a bright future

the contribution of the plastic industry to the medical industry cannot be ignored. Without the use of plastics, the vast majority of modern medical practice is impossible. It is replacing traditional materials in all aspects - from the packaging of medical products to truly functional components such as limbs and organ transplantation

"the application of plastics in the medical field is unanimously recognized. Medical industrial products began with the use of metals in this field, such as metal substitutes for human organs and various metal inserts. The use of plastics can reduce weight, and compared with metals, plastics can better prevent corrosion and rust." GAURAV Deshpande, regional sales manager of Bayer TPU

plastic: make a difference

plastic has broken through the limitations of traditional medical applications such as packaging, various tubes and sutures, and has taken a big step towards becoming a member of functional devices

"plastics and polymers are widely used in medical and health care fields. This application includes simple packaging materials for drugs and devices, to relatively low-tech devices, such as catheters, blood bags and intravenous infusion bags. Special applications include implantable devices, such as artificial hearts, pulsating left ventricular assist devices, pacing 3. Tls-j5000 mechanical spring tension and compression experimental machines, heart valves, and vascular grafts (artificial blood vessel). Plastics are also widely used in surgical devices, such as prosthetics and other orthopedic devices. Most of these devices use blends of a few biocompatible materials known to humans. " K. sunnil, general manager of heart valve Department of TTK health care Co., Ltd., said

according to d l Pandya, President of medical plastic information service magazine, plastic based disposable medical products include tubes, endoscopes, intubations, catheters, breathable wound films, disposable infusion pumps, blood bags, surgical devices, various clips, forceps, blood transfusion sleeves, dialysis devices, dialysis tubes and accessories, artificial venous fistulas, especially anesthesia related products and surgical equipment

performance

plastics have a series of characteristics - mechanical properties, chemical resistance, biocompatibility, disinfection and sterility. This makes it a vital adjunct in medical procedures. Moreover, the remarkable physical properties of polymers make them better than traditional materials and become the first choice of medical equipment materials

Pandya agrees, Say: "Due to its light weight, low cost, high mechanical strength, safety, convenience, biocompatibility and other characteristics, plastic is widely used in ear and ear tissue, dentures, facial repair, tracheal tube, heart and heart tissue, and pacemakers. In addition, it is also used in esophageal segment, blood vessels, intraocular lens, biodegradable suture, finger joint, total knee replacement, bone cement, total hip replacement, especially abdominal wall repair During recovery

Design and production

plastic has strong plasticity in its design, which provides end users with a series of shapes and specifications to choose from. "The human body is the most flexible. For patients, feeling comfortable is a very important factor, and they should not feel the existence of foreign bodies in the body. Therefore, the demand for its durability and tear resistance is also obvious. In this sense, good friction resistance and tear resistance are very critical. Resin manufacturers have the obligation to provide manufacturers with innovative materials. The production cycle of plastics is faster, and in the design and production process Small changes in production can be easily achieved at low cost. The cost of tools is very low, and resin manufacturers have also invested a lot of efforts to make resin production more flexible at this stage. " Dashpande explained

some manufacturers need excellent characteristics such as cost-effectiveness, durability, toughness, high compression resistance and tensile strength. 3. Reasonably designed plastics can meet this series of requirements. Patients using medical equipment and devices also prefer to use polymer products because of their high strength, tear resistance and wear resistance, while polymers, such as soft polyurethane, can provide users with ideal comfort

"The low density of polymer materials makes it more convenient for patients to use products such as external fixators. In addition, polymers have other characteristics that are more advantageous than traditional materials, such as high hardness and high mechanical strength; products are more attractive in plastic applications because they can be more beautiful; the hardness of resin matrix composites reduces wear and friction. Resin composites can also eliminate the metal in many patients Allergic reactions caused by devices, and they are also more resistant to corrosion than metal alloys. " Pandya explained

biocompatibility for prosthetics

due to the biocompatibility of polymers, it is widely used in cardiovascular and other biomedical fields. For example, thermoplastic polyurethane has a similar molecular structure to human protein. This makes them an ideal candidate for a series of medical applications with high requirements for adhesive strength, unique bionic properties, and antithrombotic properties. "Many of these polyurethanes have elastic properties, which are accompanied by hardness, tear resistance, and wear resistance. These polyurethanes are widely used in artificial hearts, especially pacemaker lead insulation." Dashpande confirmed. Biomedical repair devices are artificial substitutes used in the human body to play the role of human primitive organs. The materials used in this repair device must be non-toxic, have biological and chemical stability, and have sufficient mechanical integrity and mechanical strength to bear the physiological burden. The biocompatibility of these materials with human tissue is critical in these applications, and resin manufacturers are trying to find ways to achieve this best effect

"As medical product manufacturers continue to seek new and better ways to prolong and save lives, they are increasingly inclined to use engineering plastics to meet their needs. The failure of materials in this industry is not allowed, which requires the best performance of resins. The human environment is a serious challenge to any medical device materials implanted in the body. Blood, human tissue, water and fluctuating body temperature are all medical materials The testing environment, while plastic has shown its ability to accept various challenges for a period of time. In short, synthetic resins need to have biocompatibility and biological stability. " Dashpande explained

when it comes to the need for biocompatibility of prosthetic materials, Sunnil added: "the materials of implants should not be affected by the harsh environment in the human body where they function, such as the environment of various body fluids such as blood. Moreover, these materials can not affect blood and other tissues. There are very few plastics, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, Teflon, polyester (polyester), diellin (polyoxymethylene ester), polyether ether ketone, which can meet such comprehensive needs."

the industry of prosthetics has also developed from limb replacement to complex replacement such as bone, artery and heart valve. Structural parts, including bones, can also be repaired by plastic in the human body. Biocompatible polymers are suitable for short-term or long-term blood or tissue contact. Polyurethane is considered to be an ideal material for implantable medical devices, and it is also an ideal medicinal material involving blood and tissue contact for more than 30 days

"Hip joint is one of the most fragile joints in the human body. Hip replacement has become the most common medical procedure for the treatment of hip arthritis disability in modern orthopedic surgery. To produce hip prostheses with appropriate density and elastic modulus, ceramics and reinforced synthetic materials have been found to be the most ideal materials. Bone is composed of collagen fiber matrix and hydroxyapatite. In order to simulate this, UHMWPE and The alumina ceramic coating of the reinforcement component measures the relevant objects manually to ensure that the normal measurement layer is used. Now we have developed a series of technologies for the production of products such as artificial heart valves, oxygenators, hydroxyapatite particles used to strengthen and fill teeth and bones, and dental composites used for dental restoration and dental caries filling. " Pandya said that the construction project of Xiamen Rare Earth Materials Research Institute was officially started in Jimei, Xiamen

market development impetus

the harmonious coexistence between resin suppliers and product manufacturers is a good embodiment of the development of medical plastic industry. Resin suppliers need to respond to the design needs of processing manufacturers and help them solve material problems. Synthetic resins need to meet the requirements of design, production and component tolerance necessary for medical equipment and packaging. These materials should have plasticity and extrudability so that they can produce small and complex medical device components, and also can withstand the disinfection conditions in the medical field

"Manufacturers take transparency, softness, flexibility, low toxicity and chemical stability as medical equipment standards. Processing manufacturers also take ease of processing, anti disinfection, biocompatibility and inertia as standards to promote the production process of these medical products. Synthetic resins must also undergo a series of important tests, including: rheological tests to test viscosity and elasticity; particle tests to detect gels, defects and metal fibers Try and test the composition used to determine the percentage of polymer and additives in the copolymer. " Pandya explained

some manufacturers have the mentality of using low-cost resins in the production process, which is also true in the pharmaceutical industry. Resin suppliers believe that it is this trend that hinders the development of the professional synthetic resin Market in the pharmaceutical industry

"Equipment manufacturers are unwilling to learn new things, and the first consideration of production manufacturers is always to minimize the cost of raw materials. In production, processors affect this decision, which forms an obstacle to the overall development of this industry. Processing manufacturers in this sector need to receive professional polymer education, because they are the middleman between resin suppliers and end consumers. This is a life-saving business Industry can only develop if we really value life. These manufacturers need to be educated, and they also need to train consumers to use products with the best materials to get the best application. " Dashpande said

R & D breakthrough

the recent development of synthetic resin includes: the use of FDA Certified Engineering Plastics in the field of pharmaceutical technology applications, mainly in the field of drug delivery systems, physiotherapy equipment and packaging. A new grade of polysulfone material has been developed, which improves the production efficiency of medical filtration membrane. Polyvinyl chloride mixtures to prevent hemagglutination have also been developed. Liquid synthetic rubber is prepared together with barium sulfate and used in the field of liquid injection molding, such as X-ray radiography.