Medical Plastics
Quality takes precedence in medical devices More often than not, quality comes with a hefty price tag. But in the medical sector, since only the technically sophisticated and high-quality plastic grades find their way into healthcare applications, and since plastics afford the potential to optimise system costs as well as improve processability, the polymers are getting the preferential treatment over other materials, says Angelica Buan in this report.
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lastics have been the subject of debate for both safety and efficiency. Fortunately, recent studies have debunked most of these assumptions, with the positive appraisals thus propelling medical plastics in the limelight. The increasing need for medical devices with a high shelf life, increasing export and import of medical devices, increasing demand for sterilised and disposable devices are some of the factors driving the sales of the medical plastics market, according to research company Transparency Market Research. American plastics industry association SPI says plastics are responsible for reducing contamination both in the home and hospital setting for medical packaging, prostheses, implantable, wearable and drug delivery devices. Being key components in many modern devices, plastics provide ease of use, light weight and efficiency. Surprisingly, these benefits are said to help minimise healthcare costs. Medical device manufacturers also find medical plastics less expensive than metallic components such as titanium. Furthermore, the increasing use of non magnetic equipment around heavily magnetised medical equipment such as an MRI, are other factors serving as market drivers for the medical plastics market.
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MAY 2014
The medical plastics sector is varied ranging from diagnostic disposables to more sophisticated devices
Plastics have long been used in medical technology, even before synthetics. For example, the first PMMA contact lenses and plastic material artificial limbs were made in the US in the 1930s. Today, a growing opportunity for medical device manufacturers includes a shift from using traditional metal or other fibre-filled materials in their applications to plastics. Thus, sophisticated composites, like carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRPs), are being used to make such unusual prostheses like the one used by the now infamous South African athlete, Oscar Pistorius. Hence, expectations and demands on plastics for use in medical technology are growing. This has seen the advent of improved silicone elastomers, thermoplastics with antimicrobial finishes, resistance to fungal and bacteria contamination as well as nanotechnology to expand applications. Growth for convenience It is little surprise that sales of medical plastics are constantly high. Transparency Market Research says that the global medical plastics market may hit US$3.5 billion in 2018, driven by developing markets and an ageing population. Though the US has the maximum market share in the market because of factors like technological advancements and availability of sophisticated medical devices coupled with high diligence concerning healthcare awareness, the rising economies in Asia will propel the growth of the sector in the region.