Cover Story

Medical Plastic Innovations Changing The Face Of Healthcare Industry

Medical plastic has transformed several aspects of the healthcare industry. There are amazing ways that researchers are using medical grade plastics to heal and even replace human organs.

As new materials were discovered and new products and devices were available, the overall health of the population vastly improved. Many of these new materials were used for single-use goods that could deliver a more reliable level of physical separation, sanitation, and patient safety that:

• Reduced the rate of infectious diseases

• Improved pain management and increased patient comfort

• Delivered life-sustaining medications and vaccines

• Increased life expectancy around the world

Polymers (macromolecules) have experienced an explosion of new material options

Practical medical devices aided by these and other foundational discoveries include:

• Teflon inner liners for catheters

• Fibers in surgical masks and clothing

• Elastomers for guide catheter outer structures and flexible medical tubing

• Engineering polymers for instrument housings

• Transparent hydrogels for contact lenses and intraocular lenses

• Scaffolds for tissue growth

The latest generation of polymers, as well as forward-looking generations of polymer composites in medical devices include:

• Bioresorbable polymers in applications ranging from drug delivery to surgical implants

• Wearable point of care testing (POCT) devices, made possible by multiple polymers tailored for each application

• The development of inherently conducting polymers and composites whose electrical conductivity ranges from that of semiconductors to that of metallic materials

• Thermal conductive polymer composites based on select boron nitride nanotubes, nanosheets, fibers, and particles that enable heat dissipation in miniaturized electronics

More Innovations / Developments include :

• May not be viable as a lifelong solution, artificial hearts made of special grade medical polymeric materials are helping extend patients' lives as they wait for heart transplants - designed for long-term durability and has a high fatigue resistance to help ensure a patient's health and safety until an organic heart is available.

• When combined with skin stem cells, plastic can be used as skin grafts to heal burns and ulcers. Additionally, researchers are studying "self-healing" polymers that can repair themselves after being cut. They simply need to heat or hold the cut edges together for them to join back together and even retain its mechanical properties.

• Another innovation being studied are polymers that use electrical conductivity to mimic the sensitivity that organic skin experiences. This form of medical plastic could be used to create prosthetics with touch sensitivity, which would help prosthetic users regain their sense of touch. However, these advancements are still in their infancy. There's still a long way to go before a true skin replacement that can flex, stretch, heal and feel is available.

• To meet the advancements in prosthetics and artificial organs , medical grade polycarbonate sheet and medical grade polypropylene, as well as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), have proved to be ideal. These materials can handle multiple sterilizations and extended contact with bodily fluids. Moreover they are hypoallergenic!