Plastics In Medical &
Healthcare Sector Emerging Trends & Applications
Bioplastics Used in the Medical Field
The biodegradability of bioplastics combined with the
sustainability of their resources, make them a great
candidate in the medical field.
Whether for artificial eyes or modern implants, several
materials have been used in the medical field. But, a
material that benignly disappears in the body would be a
panacea. With the emergence of biodegradable and
bio-absorbable polymers, temporary prostheses, tissue
engineering, and drug delivery vehicles began to rise.
Bioplastics, particularly PLA, are biodegradable materials
with organic base which brings about a sustainable
resource. Another important aspect of bioplastics is their
biocompatibility which makes them usable in biomedical
applications. Also, they are bio-absorbable which makes
them more ideal in tissue engineering. PLA is made from
lactic acid which is produced by bacterial fermentation of
sugars. PLA is widely used in tissue engineering, due to
its physical and chemical properties, to construct the
scaffold. Although PLA presents a decent level of
satisfaction in tissue engineering applications, its
properties need to be enhanced to meet ideal requirements
of tissue engineering.
Fillers and Coatings offer slow-release Antiseptic for
Medical Devices
Many medical devices are subject to colonisation by
bacteria. In some instances, the body’s immune system can
effectively eradicate these microbes, with few or no
symptoms for the individual.
Conventional means of preventing and treating
device-related infections frequently involve the use of
topical or systemic antibiotics. However, antibiotics are
under acute threat by the evolution of resistance among
pathogenic bacteria, and there are ever more urgent calls
to reduce antibiotic use in order to preserve the
dwindling supplies of effective drugs for life-or-death
situations.
Micro Injection Moulding For Silicone Parts
The continuous growth of minimally invasive surgical
procedures, the increasing demand of high precision
medical devices and the latest advanced manufacturing
technological developments are leading towards a new trend
of small and precise silicone components manufactured
under new micro-techniques that conventional injection
moulding processes are unable to achieve.
Micro Injection Moulded Parts
The new micro injection technologies allow the precise
manufacturing of silicone parts weighing only a few
milligrams (a range of 10 milligrams is generally used to
define the border), components with strict tolerances (for
example for high precision valves) and for conventional
injected parts having some particular or critical micro
structured zones (for example thin section membranes)
Silicone micromoulded components are increasingly used in
minimally invasive surgical devices, in small and precise
fluid control activities (valves, septums and seals), in
devices fitted with microsensors, in precision
overmoulding operations and in many components in general
designed with challenging geometries or with high
precision requirements.
Low-Density Polymer Lightens the Load of Prosthetic Hand
The polymer’s light weight and self-lubrication play
important role in the hand’s design.
Researchers at the University of Southampton, UK, have
chosen low-density thermopolymer to create various parts
of the next generation of its innovative Southampton-Remedi
prosthetic hand, which has been developed over several
decades. Continued development and improvements on the
hand have been the subject of several PhD programs over
the years. The newest version is a low-mass, sensor-rich
artificial hand designed to be a highly functional,
adaptive prosthesis.
Electroactive Material for Wound Healing
This technology uses electrical activity to facilitate the
woundhealing process while protecting the wound. The
bandage is made of an electroactive material that is
stimulated by the heat of the body and the pressure of
cell growth, thus no external power source is required.
An electroactive device is applied to an external wound
site. This method utilizes generated low-level electrical
stimulation to promote the wound-healing process while
simultaneously protecting it from infection. The material
is fabricated from polyvinylidene fluoride, or PVDF, a
thermoplastic fluoropolymer that is highly piezoelectric
when poled. The fabrication method of the electroactive
material is based on a previous Langley invention of an
apparatus that is used to electrospin highly aligned
polymer fiber material. A description of the fabrication
method can be found in the technology opportunity
announcement titled, “NASA Langley’s Highly Electrospun
Fibers and Mats,” which is available on NASA Langley’s
Technology Gateway.
|