Originally Published EMDM May/June 2002
INDUSTRY NEWS
Report Discusses Medical Applications of TPEsA report titled Thermoplastic Elastomers that profiles the different families of TPE materials and analyzes their use in key end-use sectors has been published by Rapra Technology Ltd. (Shawbury, Shropshire, UK).
These materials have been available to industry for more than 20 years, notes the report author Peter W. Dufton. During that time, they have made a significant contribution to the design and manufacture of medical products. In fact, writes Dufton, the medical market as a whole is seen as a major growth area for TPEs. In addition to sheet and film applications for dressings, he notes that TPEs have "offered the potential of using conventional plastics injection moulding and extrusion equipment for a variety of medical products that traditionally were made entirely of thermoset rubbers."
The report includes a detailed description of the different families of TPE materials followed by a section on trends in material and product developments. Other sections are devoted to the industrial sectors in which TPEs play a significant role, supply and consumption data by material family, and processing and testing information.
In the medical market, implants that combine strength and biostability with flexibility represent considerable opportunities for the material, writes Dufton. He cites a team at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Australia that has discovered a new combination of polyurethane segments that create a soft, pliable material when combined in a polymer. The biocompatible material is durable, tear resistant, and extremely malleable. It has enabled the development of small-diameter vascular grafts and other small implants. Scotland-based AorTech's work in the development of a polyurethane heart valve also receives a mention in the 176-page report.
Although the document is geared primarily to materials suppliers, medical device manufacturers seeking information about material properties and potential applications may find it to be a useful resource. Dufton graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in materials science and spent much of his professional career with Dunlop. The report is available from Rapra Technology Ltd. at a cost of €434 plus postage and handling. In addition to its publishing activities, Rapra Technology Ltd. has extensive plastics and rubber-related processing, analytical, and testing laboratory facilities and expertise.
For more information or to obtain a copy of the report, contact Rapra Technology Ltd., Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 4NR, UK; phone: +44 1939 250383; fax: +44 1939 251118; Internet: www.rapra.net.
Copyright ©2002 European Medical Device Manufacturer
