Originally Published EMDM January/February 2002
INDUSTRY NEWS
Polymers Incorporate Antimicrobial Agent |
| A plastic compound incorporating an antimicrobial agent prevents the growth and migration of microorganisms on medical devices. |
A company that supplies and processes high-performance thermoplastics has joined forces with a firm offering antimicrobial technology to produce plastics that contain their own disinfectant.
Ensinger GmbH (Nufringen, Germany) supplies and processes plastics for the medical industry. A recent agreement with AgION Technologies (Beverly, MA, USA) allows the company to offer plastics incorporating AgION's antimicrobial compound. The AgION material is based on a silver-ion delivery system that prevents the growth and migration of bacteria, yeast, mould, and fungus on any product to which it is applied. The plastics offered by Ensinger constitute new antimicrobial compounds that combine the proven inorganic silver ions with a patented delivery structure.
Ensinger medical marketing specialist Fran Alder says that the company has an exclusive license to add AgION to nylons, and a nonexclusive license to compound it with other plastics. "This material addresses a critical issue with plastics," he says. "Are you really sterilizing plastics when you follow autoclaving procedures?" Applications of the new compound thus far have included surgical instrument handles and thermoformed trays.
The antimicrobial agent is able to withstand pH levels from 3 to 10, and temperatures up to 800°C, which makes it compatible with virtually any manufacturing environment. In an acute oral toxicity study, the AgION agent was shown to be less toxic than ordinary table salt. The material has passed the ISO 10993-1 biocompatibility test for medical implants.
Ensinger, which supplies plastics in bar stock, introduces the AgION material homogenously to extruded tube or rod. The company displayed the resulting compound on its stand at the recent Medica show in Düsseldorf. Ensinger offers extruded semifinished products, precision profiles, and injection-moulded and machined parts. The company also provides product design and planning services to the medical sector. Special formulations that meet ISO 10993 requirements and USP Class VI standards are available from stock. The firm has development, production, and distribution centres worldwide.
For more information, contact Ensinger GmbH, Rudolf-Diesel-Str. 8, D-71154 Nufringen, Germany; phone: +49 7032 8190; fax: +49 7032 819100; e-mail: info@ensinger-online.com; Internet: www.ensinger-online.com.
Benjamin Lichtman
Copyright ©2002 European Medical Device Manufacturer
