Medical Plastic Data Service Magazine

 
 

A TECHNO-ECONOMIC NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MEDICAL PLASTICS AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

Our 27th Year of Publication
Page  1 of 5

 

Cover Story

Medical Polymers : Emerging Trends & Opportunities

Like any other sector, the Plastic industry or the medical device industry is also looking for emerging trends. The origin for some of the trends are from campaign based ideology - the examples for which in the medical applications are requirements for bisphenol-A free materials, Polyvinylchloride free devices etc.

History has shown that such public-driven trends generally follow the cycle of becoming public and disappearing regularly without major changes.

However, it is said that most future trends in the medical device sector are generated within research groups, industry R & D activities and during the applications.

All very good looking ideas may be an actual trends. Some of the ideas which have, are tested after thorough investigation, shown potential for implementation and are driven by higher integration level of technologies between technocrats, medical professionals and patients. A few of such material based trends are highlighted in this article.

These trends are mainly driven by general aspects of higher integration level of technologies, but also between engineers, medical professionals, and patients.

Thermoplastic Elastomers

Many medical devices need combination of hard and soft materials such as respiratory masks, precision syringes, tubings, catheters, bags for infusion solutions, implants such as artificial heart valves and joints etc requiring a long time use. The reason such materials will be preferred is because of their high degree of purity (low level of extractable compounds), their recyclability and cost effectiveness. Also for their application to replace latex which is understood to cause allergic reactions in some patients. In addition, they are easy to sterilize and are flexible.

Technological advancement in the thermoplastic elastomer processing industry has made these elastomers an ideal choice for medical device manufacturing, leading to an increase in demand for thermoplastic medical elastomers in medical devices. As per “Markets & Markets”, Medical Elastomers Market was valued at USD 5.11 Billion in 2016 and is projected to reach USD 7.92 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 7.5%.

Biodegradable Polymers

Within the world of medical devices, biodegradable polymers usually refer to a plastic that will be dismantled inside the human body by means of metabolism within a period between several days and years. Put simply, an implant manufactured from these materials will completely disappear without further action.

A well-established medical application is absorbent surgical suture materials that were introduced in the early 1960s.Currently there are five major groups of biodegradable plastic materials commercially available. However, by combining these by means of copolymerization or compounding, an enormous variety of materials may be obtained.

• Polyglycolic Acid (PGA)
• Polylactic Acid (PLA)
• Polycaprolactone (PCL)
• Polyanhydrides
• Polylactic-Co-Glycolic Acid (PLGA)

An implant basing on one of these biodegradable polymers subsequently will be replaced by body’s own material, making implant removal after healing superfluous. Widespread applications are screws, plates, and fixing pins for osteosynthesis. This comes along with several advantages. The implant does bear the entire load direct after implantation. The patient regains mobility immediately and the body gets time to start bone healing.

According to an estimate, Biogradable Bone Graft Polymers market size was over USD 350 million in 2016 (including Joint Reconstruction, Cramiomaxillio facial, Dental, Spine, Orthobiologics & others) and is expected to grow at a CAGR over 7.5 % till 2024.

Biodegradable Polymers for Targeted Drug Delivery

Over the past decades, biodegradable polymers have proven to be a very meaningful approach for targeted drug delivery. These types of polymers will disintegrate and eventually vanish when implanted into the human body, whereas the time and process of disintegration may be actively influenced by engineering. For instance, many medical devices are used as implants, serving as drug delivery system, intended to continuously administering a drug without any need for repeating intake of medicines. This offers diverse benefits. Drug may be delivered continuously right at the desired location within the human body, bypassing the digestive system and the liver. Further, convenience of the patient is increased as he is released from remembering when and how to intake drugs or any additional surgical intervention to remove the implant. Prominent example is small subcutaneous rodshaped implants, a few millimeters in diameter and 5-10 mm in length, applied as a contraceptive.

Advertisers' Index

Accuprec Research Labs Pvt. Ltd., India
Ambica Medicare Engineering, India
Nu-Vu Conair Pvt. Ltd., India
Divya Steri Solutions Pvt. Ltd., India
ET Elastomer Technik, Germany
Eewa Engineering Co. Pvt. Ltd., India
Ineos Styrolution India Ltd., India
I-Kare Polyalloys Pvt. Ltd., India
KLJ Group, India
Lubrizol Advanced Materials India Pvt. Ltd.
Kuraray India Pvt. Ltd., India
Maider Medical Industry Equipment Ltd.China
Medicall 2019, India
Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt. Ltd., India
GLR Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., India
Pashiba Lifescience, India
Plastivision India
Pradeep Surgipack, India
PVC Colouring Compounding & Processing, India
Qosina, USA
Raumedic AG
SMC Medical Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd., India
Sterimed Medical Devices (P) Ltd., India
Steri Techno Fab, India
Tekni-Plex India Pvt. Ltd., India
Twist Engineering Works,India
Yuhuan Shengjiu Mould Co., Ltd., China

Airways Surgical Pvt. Ltd., India

Alpha Medicare and Devices Ltd., India
Alpha Therapeutics Pvt. Ltd., India
Ami Polymer Pvt. Ltd., India
Angiplast Pvt. Ltd., India
Appasamy Associates, India
Beacon Plastics, India
Delux Surgical, Inida
Ignisol Mediplas Corporation, India
Jain Rubbers Pvt. Ltd., India
Operon Strategist, India
R.R. Patel Gases (P) Ltd., India

Proven Trade Contacts, India

Sanidhya Enterprise, India
Surgi Pack India Pvt. Ltd.
Unikal Consultants, India
Vinit Performance Polymers Pvt. Ltd., India
Aircity, India
Amigo Surgi Care Pvt. Ltd., India
Angel Products, India
Apex Medical Devices, India
Jimit Medico Surgicals Pvt. Ltd.
Kavya Packaging, India
Life-O-Line Technologist, India
Mesco Surgical, India
Morrisons Lifecare Pvt. Ltd., India
National Healthcare, India
Pharmadocx, Inida
S. Nath & Co., India
Unikal Consultants, India
Venus Industries,India, Mobile : 9825747495
Zinkal Products, India
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