Types of Thermoplastics Used in Medical Devices

Gerald Fahl is a voice actor as well as a public address announcer for football and basketball games at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He also served as the chief experience officer (CXO) at WESTconsin Credit Union. Gerald Fahl serves as a thermoplastics molding operator at the Scientific Molding Corporation in Somerset, Wisconsin. His responsibilities include creating medical equipment parts on various thermoplastics molding machines.

The most common thermoplastics used in medical device injection molding are: polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and polycarbonate. Polyethylene is biologically inert and retains its structural integrity long-term, making it ideal for medical implants. Polypropylene is resistant to fatigue and cracking and is commonly used to manufacture syringes, prescription bottles, and clear bags.

Polymethyl methacrylate is a substitute for glass and is used to create optical fibers for endoscopy and telecommunication. Polyvinyl chloride is used to manufacture catheters, artificial limb materials, and blood bags. Polyamide is strong, inflexible and mostly used in place of weaker metals. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is used to manufacture non-absorbable sutures, tracheal tubes, and drug delivery systems, while polycarbonate serves as a good alternative to glass, as it is shatterproof.