Impact-resistant plastic stands up

Eastman Chemical Company will share the results of new testing protocols proving that Eastman Tritan copolyester outperforms competing plastics used for medical device housings at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) 44th Annual Educational Conference (June 14–16, Portland, Oregon).

Clorox Healthcare will be displaying Eastman materials at Booth #1027

Infection control specialists, quality control experts, doctors, nurses and clinicians can learn firsthand about the test results that show how medical device housings made with Eastman Tritan copolyester are better able withstand today’s increasingly demanding infection control cleaning protocols used to combat hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).

As hospitals use more aggressive disinfectants and take other measures to reduce HAIs, medical equipment is increasingly subject to repetitive failures. This includes a wide variety of medical devices, such as MRI coils, ultrasound probes, buttons, handles and portable patient monitor units that encounter significant wear and tear on hospital floors.

Hospital staff responsible for infection control continually review instructions for use (IFU) guidelines for new equipment to specify which disinfectants can be used on devices to ensure patient safety while preventing repetitive equipment failures. While disinfectants made with bleach compounds are effective for killing pathogens such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff), their repeated use can degrade the performance of commonly used plastics such as polycarbonate, polycarbonate blends and ABS.

Eastman’s four-step testing process shows that Eastman Tritan copolyester displays greater impact resistance and durability after being treated with frequently used hospital disinfectants, including bleach, when compared to commonly used materials like polycarbonate, polycarbonate/ABS, polycarbonate/PBT and polycarbonate/PET. Eastman has produced a video that illustrates how the four-step test can be performed in test labs using simple equipment.

"We’re excited about this opportunity for Eastman to meet with the leaders in infection control who deal with these HAI cleaning protocols and worry about patient safety and cost of device failures," says Ellen Turner, Global Market Development Manager, Specialty Plastics in Medical Devices, Eastman Chemical Company.

Eastman Tritan copolyester is a halogen-free polymer, available with UL 94 FR V2 flame retardancy, that offers excellent chemical resistance and toughness in handheld and other electronic medical device housings. Tritan can withstand rigorous use and disinfectants while offering increased durability and product failure reductions.

"Eastman understands the needs of the medical device marketplace and creates materials to meet the demands of aggressive HAI cleaning protocols," says Laurie Rabens of Clorox Healthcare. "Eastman’s testing shows that the type of plastic used in these sensitive applications is critical to patient safety and device reliability."