MEDICAL | MATERIALS
Foster Corporation adds that it has recently launched LazerMed for applications requiring laser marking. “As a custom compounder, we provide customer/application specific solutions leveraging our knowledge on materials and additives for the industry,” says Johnson. “We use many different additives to provide our customers with solutions to achieve improved performance in the areas of lubricity, colour technologies, taggants and anti-counterfeit, and antimicrobial requirements. We also announced our partnership with LioChem, at the end of 2019 in an effort to serve the market with high quality colour masterbatches that are compliant with medical device regulations and can be obtained in the appropriate quantities for inven- tory management.” The company says that LazerMed is a technology
for materials that require laser marking as an alternative to solvent based printing technologies for medical device applications. It is dispersed through compounding processes which warrants the uniformity and consistency of the marking. It can be used in a wide variety of materials providing improved contrast and a safe option for the market. Other custom solutions target specific requirements like electrical conductivity for wearable applications that require thermal isolation, colour technology for dental applications with specific regulatory require- ments, lubricious/waterproof compounds for closure systems that reduce the risk of jamming during utilisation, and a speciality bioresorbable compound for bone screws that keep their integrity for a specific period of time and foster bone growth (reducing healing time for patients). There are a number of future targeted material developments at Foster Corporation, concludes Johnson. These include: enhanced lubricity additives that perform under wet condition; compounds with bone growth additives for orthopedic applications; radiopaque additives for enhanced processability and dispersion; antimicrobial solutions for
equipment housing; improved strength medical grade polymers; and technologies that enable alternative imaging techniques. Injection moulded parts used in medical
applications require precision manufacturing under strict performance qualifications, including highly challenging tolerance levels and multi-cavity tooling, says Topas Advanced Polymers, a Polyplastics subsidiary which manufactures Topas COC. These are often produced in complex geometries and tight tolerances of less than 0.001 in (0.025 mm). Materials for medical parts must be able to meet these increasing design and manufac- turing challenges. Topas COC offers high flow, good dimensional stability for automated demand- ing production criteria of medical and diagnostic companies worldwide. Topas COC can be mould- ed for maximum precision. Topas Advanced Polymers adds that medical
applications in drug delivery and diagnostics require polymers with a high degree of purity, drug compatibility, biocompatibility, and dimensional stability. The need for these critical properties continues to grow with the proliferation of point-of- care (POC) and wearable technologies, as both established, and start-up companies are focusing on developing products in this emerging space. As a leading healthcare plastic and drug-contact
material, Topas COC provides these features, while delivering consistent and reproducible perfor- mance, says the company. The properties of Topas COC also help to facilitate the continuing miniaturi- sation of products in the industry. According to the company, unlike other engi- neering thermoplastics or glass, Topas COC offers a non-ionic, minimally reactive surface. This non-polar substrate does not promote adsorption, denaturation, aggregation or precipitation. With very low leachables and extractables, the material preserves long-term drug purity, enabling better performance and patient safety. Topas COC is currently used in commercial wearable drug delivery devices, including Valeritas’ V-Go and Tandem Diabetes’ t:slim X2. Topas COC is also available in an elastomer grade, Topas Elastomer E-140. This highly flexible grade is a high- performance alternative to traditional flexible materials for a broad range of applications such as gaskets, medical devices, speciality pharmaceutical packaging and
storage, medical tubing, IV bags and as a
flexible membrane in demanding diagnostic and flow-control applications. Similar to standard Topas
www.injectionworld.com
Left: Topas COC offers high flow, good dimen- sional stability for automated demanding production criteria of medical and diagnostic companies
January/February 2020 | INJECTION WORLD 41
IMAGE: TOPAS ADVANCED POLYMERS
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