PMMA-Based Multi-Polymer Compounds For Medical Devices

PMMA-based Multi-polymer compounds for Medical Devices

21-Oct-16

Evonik's Performance Materials Segment has more than 40 years’ experience in medical technology and markets CYROLITE® especially for medical and diagnostic applications.

Polymers have long been indispensable in hospitals, laboratories, and medical surgeries, where they are found in items such as disposable items, medical filters, and device housings. But in this sensitive area, the materials that are used must fulfill extremely high quality and safety requirements.

The multi-polymer compounds are the world's most advanced PMMA-based polymers for medical devices.
They can be sterilized with gamma rays, e-beam, and EtO gas, are resistant to alcohol and lipids and have good impact resistance, transparency, and translucency properties.
All CYROLITE® grades meet the requirements of USP classes 6 and 26, Tripartite, ISO 10993-1 and FDA and are free from Bisphenol A (BPA), Bisphenol S (BPS) and Diethyl hexylphthalat (DEHP).

Typical applications that are produced from CYROLITE® multi-polymer compounds include disposable medical items, such as IV and catheter accessories, blood/plasma separators, chest drainage sets, medical filter and device housings. Evonik has also developed different variants of CYROLITE® multi-polymer compounds for special applications.
For example, the special molding compounds CYROLITE® Protect and CYROLITE® Protect 2 are microbe resistant PMMA-based compounds. They remain permanently microbe resistant even after repeated cleaning and thus help to prevent infections caused by hospital microorganisms that are increasingly becoming a problem.
CYROLITE® MD PMMA is an adapted variant which is suitable for diagnostic applications, such as cuvettes, test sets, rotors, and crystallography trays that meet all the relevant requirements. The materials that are used in this area must have good optical properties. CYROLITE® MD PMMA offers exceptional ultra-violet light transmittance (UVT) and optical clarity in combination with maximum flow properties and high dimensional stability. Inhalers need an anti-static mouthpiece so that the active ingredient can be inhaled. Vu-Stat™ Y-20 is a transparent, electro-static dissipative PMMA-based multi-polymer used mainly for molding medical applications. In addition to inhalers, it is also used for needle hubs for brachytherapy and electronic components with dust-resistant surfaces.

But CYROLITE® multi-polymer compounds not only have properties that make them ideal for use in medical applications: because of their good flow properties, they can also be processed into delicate shapes as well as large components. Filling multiple cavities in injection molding dies is also not a problem, which allows disposable items to be manufactured very economically.