Medical Grade Plastic and Its Incredible Advantages to the Industry
Plastic offers a remarkable benefit of being malleable, with an ability to take limitless shapes and manufacture consumer products at an affordable price. Among all other industries, the medical industry has benefitted the most because it requires the work of precision which a modern plastic can easily provide.
From MRI casings, plastic gloves to plastic syringes and surgical tools, the medical industry has widely made use of medical grade plastics. We have listed some of the most prominent advantages of these medical grade plastics below.
1) Safe
Medical plastic is safe as it is non-permeable and shatterproof, which makes it easy to transport bio-hazardous materials. This helps safe removal of medical waste which prevents the spread of dangerous infections. Even in pharmaceuticals, tamper-proof caps ensure content is sterile and free from pathogens.
Patients, who otherwise reject the presence of medical devices made of traditional materials like the latex in the body, have shown easy acceptance to plastic medical devices like the implants. The patients are less likely to face skin irritation, agitation of the immune system, pain, and discomfort with hypoallergenic plastic.
2) Versatile
Medical plastic can be molded into any shape without breaking. This gives rise to endless innovation in medical technology. Today from disposable products such as bedpans, inhalation masks, IV tubes, catheters are all made of plastic. Even the pill casing and internal implants like the joint replacement are also plastic. In fact, most of the materials that we see in the modern hospital rooms are of plastic origin.
3) Infection Resistant
Innovators have manufactured plastic using antimicrobial materials that reduce bacteria by up to 99.99%. The material on the surface of plastic claims to repel or kill bacteria. Even if it is not regularly cleaned, it can significantly reduce the chance of an infection. Infection-resistant properties of medical grade plastic prevent cross-contamination and even helps in speeding the process of research of new medicines.
4) Cost Effective
Plastic has a long life, it can be used for a wide range of applications, and the cost of material used to make plastic products is less, thereby reducing the cost of manufacturing. Unlike metal and glass, plastic is resistant from corrosion and shattering. The medical grade plastics are designed to handle repeated sterilizations. With all these advantages, hospitals are able to significantly reduce their overhead costs, benefiting both the operations and the patients by offering services at a lower cost.
5) Scope of Innovation
With the invention of 3D printing, manufacturers have found it easy to create inexpensive and comfortable medical applications. One such example is prosthetics, which can be highly personalized because of injection moulding. It is made lightweight and durable, making the patient’s life little comfortable.
Doctors and surgeons have already begun the switch to plastic medical devices and implants, and the results have been phenomenal. With plastics becoming recyclable, it is much easier for the health care providers to remain environmentally responsible and to meet the ever-increasing demand for medical applications. Medical grade plastics have all made it possible!
To explore the applications of medical grade plastic, visit Plastivision and be a part of the largest exhibitions of India that concentrates on the plastic industry. Book your booth today!