ARTICLES

  • Styrenic polymers are an important class of plastics that are used widely in the medical and healthcare industry in various applications ranging from the manufacture of medical devices to pharmaceutical packaging. They exhibit a range of desirable physical and chemical properties, driving the styrenic polymers market for medical applications. The market is slightly restrained by the relatively higher price of styrenic polymers compared to competitors such as polyethylene and PVC. To know about the factors that propel market, the product types, their applications, the overall market, the growth regions and the laggards, the challenges, etc, read Styrenic polymers market for medical applications to register CAGR of 7.5% uptil decade-end
  • Hip, knee and spine surgeries are common orthopedic procedures in the developed world. Medical composite materials are used in the production of prosthetics and implants in the orthopaedic sector, as they help in biocompatibility and osteoconductivity. Biodegradable polymers are modified with a ceramic component; and Carbon fiber/PEEK polymer composites are also being used to manufacture orthopedic implantable material. The future market will be challenged by emerging materials, technologies, applications and procedures. To know about the types of medical composites, the growth regions, the laggards, factors driving growth and the challenges faced, read Feedstock price volatility to challenge growth of global medical composite market for orthopaedics
  • Engineers working on new medical devices are on the lookout for the best material for the parts and devices they are developing- a polymer that will make their new product functional and safe.  Depending on the type of device they are producing, the importance of material cost varies.  For high-volume, single-use, devices, the material cost is of greater importance than in a reusable device or most implanted materials.  Questions regarding cost, physical properties, chemical and biologicals properties, regulatory concerns usually precede the selection of a material. Read more in Selecting the best polymer material for medical devices
  • Plastics pervade the medical field, but recent advances could lead to even more innovations. Here are some examples: A team at the University of Pennsylvania is developing a polymer-based material that changes colors depending on how hard it is hit. The goal is to incorporate this material into protective headgear, providing an obvious indication of injury. A new polymer gel could help create swallowable devices for ultra-long drug delivery and could allow for the development of long-acting devices that reside in the stomach, including orally delivered capsules that can release drugs over a number of days, weeks, or potentially months following a single administration. Single-administration delivery systems for the radical treatment of malaria and other infections could significantly benefit from this technology. Read more in Color changing polymer to signal traumatic brain injuries, polymer gel for swallowable devices with ultra-long drug delivery
  • Implantable medical devices like prosthesis and pacemakers are an ideal interface for micro-organisms to easily colonize their surface. The resulting bacterial infection could lead to an inflammatory reaction that could cause the implant to be rejected, compromising the success of the implant. A new film reduces inflammation and prevents the most common bacterial and fungal infections. Also, for the first time, naturally occurring proteins assembling chemically created polymers into complex structures that modern machinery cannot duplicate have been demonstrated. Using a succession of biological mechanisms, researchers have created linkages of polymer nanotubes that resemble the structure of a nerve, with many out-thrust filaments poised to gather or send electrical impulses. Read more in Biofilm with antimicrobial, antifungal properties for implants; nerve-like polymer network uses biological mechanisms