SAFER, LONGER-LASTING MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

In hospitals, hygiene can be a matter of life and death. To help protect patients from healthcare-associated infections, medical facilities and devices need frequent deep cleaning with powerful disinfectants. The COVID-19 crisis has, of course, made this more important than ever.

However, disinfecting with aggressive substances that keep medical devices clean can also degrade the thermoplastic materials they are made from. Disinfectants like alcohols, peroxides, and quaternary ammonium compounds can cause traditional polymers to become brittle and crack, shortening the lifespan of costly and critical devices.

Medical professionals face a dilemma. How can they trust their devices to keep patients safe and work optimally? This is the challenge that our new family of materials has helped to solve. SABIC’s LNP^TM ELCRES^TM CRX resin is a polycarbonate copolymer that offers superior resistance to the harsh disinfectants that are the norm in healthcare today.

Our unique copolymer technology helps prevent materials from cracking when they are frequently subjected to aggressive chemical disinfectants. When devices such as diagnostic equipment, imaging machines, and hospital beds are made from these copolymers, they offer compatibility with today’s rigorous cleaning protocols. Manufacturers can “drop in” ELCRES CRX grade resins to their existing production processes, so they can upgrade products without the need to invest in new tooling.

Devices made with this material support hospitals in keeping patients safe. Medical equipment can remain in service for longer periods of time. And manufacturers may be able to reduce the amount of costly requests to replace devices under warranty.

With advanced materials, hygiene and high performance go hand-in-hand.