Plastic Innovations: Medical

5 Remarkable New Heart Health Innovations Made Possible by Pl5 Remarkable New Heart Health Innovations Made Possible by Plastics

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSoIUAqGSZ1pXvfxjwfajdcEPp5KBOEE39i3wH-fSGhgsD0pJwt2LXdeBXy3w_qiOyGL42awHO07JHwx2gllcx9msJwe9Jq2tEQO07aJFRkmRL8iML5hFQwZT441k00BYy07TXeK9PRpb/s1600/iStock-508939119-725x484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSoIUAqGSZ1pXvfxjwfajdcEPp5KBOEE39i3wH-fSGhgsD0pJwt2LXdeBXy3w_qiOyGL42awHO07JHwx2gllcx9msJwe9Jq2tEQO07aJFRkmRL8iML5hFQwZT441k00BYy07TXeK9PRpb/s640/iStock-508939119-725x484.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Did you know there’s a Heart Health Month? It’s February (surprised?), when we’re surrounded by heart-shaped candies, cookies, and Valentine’s Day cards. Given that we rely on a healthy heart regardless the month, it’s fortunate that innovations in heart care advance year round, year after year.

Of course, good heart health relies on many factors, such as diet and physical activity. But when our hearts need extra help, medical advances made possible by plastics can help deliver the often lifesaving medical care our loved ones and we need. Here are five remarkable new heart health innovations made possible by plastics.

Plastic Patch
Healing a broken heart (at least the literal kind) may get a bit easier. Researchers are developing a flexible plastic patch that can help repair the damaged tissue caused by heart attacks. Since the patch doesn’t require stitches, it’s less invasive and potentially less damaging to the heart than other surgical methods. The patch is still undergoing testing, but researchers predict that it may one day help prevent arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) and even aid in regenerating damaged heart tissue.

Dissolving Stent
Heart surgeons have long treated blockages by implanting a stent—a device that expands a coronary artery and restores blood flow. But … either the patient has to go through another surgery to remove the stent, or the artery remains expanded permanently, which may not be ideal for a patient long-term. But thanks to medical plastics that dissolve over time, recently FDA-approved advanced stents do their job and then are adsorbed into the body—potentially improving quality of life for heart patients.

Heart in a Box
The primary method for transporting donor hearts is pretty simple: the organ is put on ice in an insulated container. The longer it remains outside a human body, the increased likelihood the tissue will become damaged. But a new plastic-based device known as “heart in a box” may change all that. This technology lets a donor heart continue beating, essentially keeping it “alive” from the time it’s removed from the donor to the time it’s transplanted. Researchers say the “heart in a box” could dramatically increase the availability of donor hearts.

3-D Printing
Why is 3-D printing with plastics so revolutionary? In large part because it enables technicians in a range of industries to quickly and easily create fully customizable 3-D models. What if technicians could apply that technology to create an intricate plastic replica of a patient’s heart that surgeons could study in advance of an operation? It’s already happening. Surgeons today can use the plastic model to plan out details of the procedure before it even begins, reducing risk for the patient.

Inflatable Implant
Heart surgeons often face a frustrating irony: sometimes the sickest patients—who need surgery the most—have been so weakened by their condition that surgery becomes too risky. But a new inflatable, balloon-like device made with plastics is helping improve the odds. After the device is implanted, doctors can inflate or deflate it as needed to control excess blood flow and relieve pressure on the heart. This technique can give a heart the chance to recover enough to withstand surgery.

We all know someone who’s been impacted by heart-related health problems, so it’s great to know that these and other cutting-edge medical innovations—many made possible by plastics—are helping our loved ones live longer, healthier lives. During Heart Health Month and beyond.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>

5 Remarkable New Heart Health Innovations Made Possible by Pl5 Remarkable New Heart Health Innovations Made Possible by Plastics

Did you know there’s a Heart Health Month? It’s February (surprised?), when we’re surrounded by heart-shaped candies, cookies, and Valentine...

Rescued Dog Helps Spread the Word about Plastics

Previously published in Plastics Engineering and posted with permission from the Society of Plastics Engineers.

Sure, it’s another dog video. One of thousands on YouTube and Facebook. But this one explains how plastics helped an injured puppy run again. And how plastic prostheses and braces can help more and more injured animals live fuller lives.

An Injured Puppy
This story began four years ago. A three-month-old pit bull mix was discovered in upstate New York on train tracks, abused, all legs injured, with one paw nailed to a wooden railroad tie.

His rescuers were surprised the puppy survived. Severe injuries forced veterinarians to amputate one of his paws. The chances of him being able to walk or run again were slim.

In media reports he became known as the Railroad Puppy, and his story touched many, including Richard Nash, who adopted the puppy and named him Hudson.

Nash looked for prostheses that would help support Hudson’s leg with the missing paw. But the prostheses he tried took a month to create, so the puppy already had outgrown them by the time they arrived. Since prosthetics must fit snugly, Nash and Hudson needed a better answer.

Then Nash found Derrick Campana.

A Passion For Helping Animals
An expert in veterinary prosthetics and orthotics, Campana started his career working with humans, including wounded veterans. “One day a veterinarian came to my human practice,” Campana recalled, “and she had a dog… that needed a prosthetic device. I said, ‘I can try to help you. But I’ve never worked on a dog before.’

“I casted the dog. I made a successful device. She said, ‘You know there’s a lot of dogs that need these mobility devices or assistive devices.’ So ding, ding, ding, a light bulb went off. I said, ‘I love animals, I love this field of prosthetics, so start a business.’”

Campana has grown his business, Animal Ortho Care, into a worldwide practice that develops advanced prostheses for a wide variety of animals, from turtles to pandas. Like Hudson, some of the animals Campana helps have suffered devastating injuries, such as elephants that have been injured by land mines and need large prostheses.

Sadly, the need for veterinary prosthetics and orthotics is large—Campana estimates that his practice treats an average of 200 animals every month.

“We get emails everyday on all types of devices,” said Campana in 2016, “ranging from turtle to deer to pandas. I did elephants in Thailand, a ram in Spain. Goat, sheep, llama. Name it, we’ve probably done it. If I had to guess at the number of animals we’ve seen in my career over the last 12 years, it would have to be about 25,000.”

Plastics to the Rescue
To improve the quality of life for these animals, Campana relies on high-performance materials, including medical grade polypropylene and polyethylene plastics. These plastics enable him to very quickly craft and mold prostheses that contour to the shape of an animal’s body, while typically bypassing the long production times.

“These are all custom devices,” said Campana. “We send out casting kits all over the world…People will take a mold of their dog or animal’s leg, ship that to us, and we’ll custom make… the prosthesis or brace necessary for them to use. It started out locally, and then I thought of the casting kit concept so I could go global. Ever since, it’s blown up, and I’ve been able to help (animals) around the world.”

Campana explained the make up of his typical products: “The entire shell of the prosthesis or orthosis is plastic. The liner is made out of non-porous foam… plastic. Then the prosthetic feet that I put on most prostheses are a plastic. There’s a proprietary plastic that we’re starting to use that’s more of a low temperature thermoplastic, which makes modifying these braces and prosthetics a lot easier for the veterinarians to do at their own practices.

“I’ve made prosthetics out of lots of different materials, (but the) plastics that we use… are very, very durable. They last the life of the pet. We find that plastics like we use here not only are good to ship all over the world because they can be modified, but they hold up much better and are much more durable… They are also heat mold-able… literally, if there’s something that we need to change with the prosthesis, I can bring it right back to the lab, heat it up, and refit it. And we aim to have them affordable and actually save people lots of money with a lot of our orthotic devices that we make instead of going to surgery,” which is important to pet owners who typically don’t have insurance to cover veterinarian care.

“The advantages of using these types of plastics are for one they are extremely lightweight. If they were heavy, the dogs wouldn’t accept them. They would just fall right off the leg. I’m lucky to have these plastics because I literally couldn’t do what I do without them.”

A New Approach
After learning about Nash and Hudson, Campana began designing and building a prosthetic device to help the then one-year-old dog regain much of his mobility. Success would require a prosthesis that was comfortable, lightweight, and extremely durable to help Hudson run again. If all went well, Hudson would adjust to the prosthesis as if it were an extension of his own body.

So Campana created something new for Hudson. “We had to send him a few prototypes, to see how he would react. And then when we made our new blade runner design… the first spring foot design… that’s when I actually wanted to come up there. I knew that we had something that I wanted to try and personally fit on Hudson.”

Campana drove from his Virginia shop to upstate New York with the new prosthesis. From the time they met, Campana had a feeling there was something special about Hudson. “Hudson had the desire. He had the will…. He wanted to run.”

The moment of truth finally arrived. Campana carefully fitted the custom prosthesis onto Hudson’s leg.

Hudson’s response? He looked up at Nash and Campana, took a few tentative first steps… and then he took off running. And he simply didn’t want to stop.

“We saw him,” Campana recalled. “Richard was crying. I was tearing up. It’s one of the best moments, because it was a new design, a new type, on this dog that we loved, on a dog that’s gone through this trauma, these injuries, and has such a following. When all these things lined up together, and we fit him with a new prosthesis… and he just ran away. It all lined up. Perfection.”

Hudson Helping Humans
Due to his growing fame, Hudson actually is helping Campana raise awareness of solutions to a big problem. “I feel like maybe 20% of the population knows that these options of (animal) prosthetics and orthodontic devices exist,” Campana said. “If 100% of dog owners knew, then we could treat thousands more dogs and save thousands more dogs’ lives. You don’t have to put them down.”

Hudson now is widely known as a symbol for overcoming adversity—with the help of Nash’s love, Campana’s passion, and a plastic prosthesis. He’s even been to the White House.

But while he still is known as the Railroad Puppy, many people who struggle in various ways, including injured veterans, also know him as Hudson the therapy dog.

“When he walks in and sees amputees and war vets like I used to treat,” said Campana, “he’s able to give them a sense of relief and show them that, ‘Oh, if this dog can overcome this handicap, then I can too.’ He’s perfect just the way he is, and he’s able to show that.”

In 2016, Plastics Make it Possible® created a video about Hudson, Campana, Nash… and plastics. The video has been viewed, liked, or shared by millions. The video can be viewed at: http://bit.ly/2bU3P64<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3XliFuZJ-VvsICrR69BJDh8b0DFl1kBIqRsADCphkeiEoIsuHgJoEFbamF3ujz07w8ph0krjHZ48q54UPbFskSZo6abginfyMr9PMg33J5xY2A9QXj8etwOPWz1Pq2sxxaPjtzKUkx5g/s1600/Plastics_06-725x408.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3XliFuZJ-VvsICrR69BJDh8b0DFl1kBIqRsADCphkeiEoIsuHgJoEFbamF3ujz07w8ph0krjHZ48q54UPbFskSZo6abginfyMr9PMg33J5xY2A9QXj8etwOPWz1Pq2sxxaPjtzKUkx5g/s400/Plastics_06-725x408.jpg" width="400" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYLtkzyw8SBt4Gp6KJgIcDZhj4A7fkfd3KDJ4_AT4ozhyRvUW2lFuo2_KxM-4U2sTR3Y5jFQTlgz6WIEc8BWmDu4yJ-qDm-TKXuSmx3PPZdvJhhjEmxZXOLD525oLGfOT8ggC_t5eHwG2/s1600/Plastics_06-725x408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYLtkzyw8SBt4Gp6KJgIcDZhj4A7fkfd3KDJ4_AT4ozhyRvUW2lFuo2_KxM-4U2sTR3Y5jFQTlgz6WIEc8BWmDu4yJ-qDm-TKXuSmx3PPZdvJhhjEmxZXOLD525oLGfOT8ggC_t5eHwG2/s400/Plastics_06-725x408.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>

Rescued Dog Helps Spread the Word about Plastics

Previously published in Plastics Engineering and posted with permission from the Society of Plastics Engineers. Sure, it’s another dog vi...

Single-use syringes, cannulas – and beyond

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="article-title" style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 46px; line-height: 56px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;">
Single-use syringes, cannulas – and beyond</h1>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOLYj4NYbRKoe9_4y6yhu4-44I1zsuqrWDE6fObC496M5oWPr772EiDheHt0PoYpwWhGH8JvSE6UrbIhdeodOBcbgQh3xhd9UFiujAPz_NQdNi2xO1MnAPJaOtBzGlt7-qoRwmD6Ulpfb/s1600/BU1_Spritzen_Aufmacher_1024_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOLYj4NYbRKoe9_4y6yhu4-44I1zsuqrWDE6fObC496M5oWPr772EiDheHt0PoYpwWhGH8JvSE6UrbIhdeodOBcbgQh3xhd9UFiujAPz_NQdNi2xO1MnAPJaOtBzGlt7-qoRwmD6Ulpfb/s1600/BU1_Spritzen_Aufmacher_1024_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="pl_abstract" style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: #f0f0f0; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px 10px;">
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; padding: 10px 0px;">
Be it contact lenses, intubation tubes, single-use syringes or cannulas, more than half of all medical products manufactured around the world are made of plastics. But even beyond these mass-produced articles, the prospects for polymer materials in medical technology look rosy. Market experts had the opportunity to track both the advances made and the growth of plastics in medical applications at K 2013. Subsequent to the market analysis some examples from K 2013 will follow.</div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; padding: 10px 0px;">
<strong style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="a_caption" style="-webkit-appearance: none; display: block; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Plastics are increasingly used in medical applications. (photo: Messe Düsseldorf)</span></strong></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
Of the roughly 47 million tonnes of plastics processed in Europe, almost 40% are used for packagings, 21% for civil engineering and construction, 8.3% in the automotive industry, and 5.4% in the electrical and electronics industry. The rest is spread across such diverse areas as sport and leisure, toys, household goods, furniture, agricultural uses and medical technology. Regarding the latter, no exact percentages are available because of the blurred distinctions as to where medical technology starts and ends. But one thing is clear: only the technically sophisticated and high-quality plastic grades find their way into health care applications.</div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
With a growth rate approaching 9% in 2010 and 6% in 2011, medical technology lies substantially above the figures for most domestic industries in Germany. Turnover by German enterprises in this market has been estimated at approximately €21billion for 2011 by <a href="http://www.spectaris.de/english.html" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Spectaris</a>, the German industry association of businesses in the optical, medical and mechatronic technologies.</div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
Plastics were already being used in medical technology even before synthetics began to write their commercial success story from the mid-20<sup style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">th</sup> century onwards. In 1936, William Feinbloom made the first contact lenses in the USA from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). From the mid-20<sup style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">th</sup> century, plastics were also being used increasingly to make artificial limbs. Currently, sophisticated composite constructions made of plastics reinforced with carbon fibres (CFRP) are being used to make such unusual prostheses.</div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
Expectations are high on plastics for use in medical technology – and the demands are growing further. Novel creations in polymer chemistry, for instance, improved silicone elastomers, thermoplastics with antimicrobial finishes and the opportunities offered by nanotechnology are expanding the variety of applications, and more.</div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
<a href="http://www.messe-duesseldorf.com/" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><strong style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">www.messe-duesseldorf.com</strong></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
<span class="h_crosstitle" style="-webkit-appearance: none; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">PVDF copolymer for minimally invasive medical catheters</strong></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
<a href="http://www.arkema.com/" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Arkema</a> introduced Kynar Rx 752 polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) copolymer for use in minimally invasive medical catheters that are exposed to bodily fluids for less than 30 days. The Kynar Rx 752 fluoropolymer was specifically developed for medical catheter applications and is readily melt processed using standard extrusion or injection moulding equipment similar to those used to process polyethylene (PE), polyvinylidene chloride (PVC) or polypropylene (PP). This allows for continuous coextrusion of multilayer constructions used in advanced catheter shaft designs.  Additionally, Kynar Rx copolymer tubes and moulded components can be welded together using radio frequency (RF), direct heat contact, and ultrasonic methods to create consolidated catheter components.</div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
Kynar Rx 752 copolymer is USP Class VI compliant and exhibits good resistance to chemicals and temperatures. This allows medical device components made from the material to be chemical, autoclave or irradiation sterilised.  The material offers a flexural modulus of 50,000psi (345MPa) and dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.54, according to ASTM test methods. The new medical grade copolymer can be coextruded into multilayer tubing, providing device companies with an alternative to manually assembled shafts with PTFE liners.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6Xz4G9Bs0o7dBu1uxIAW-P5TD-NLcsaxZDYJlVjhwYkHf4kvn-acrCWvwuklnHjfbFxgl4V0nGOtv-147aXZN21O_dCUss-A-A7ESsxwkyKKdTCAHtRdjGiM5JBPEICE5M-YnNzljTsQ/s1600/BU_Arkema_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6Xz4G9Bs0o7dBu1uxIAW-P5TD-NLcsaxZDYJlVjhwYkHf4kvn-acrCWvwuklnHjfbFxgl4V0nGOtv-147aXZN21O_dCUss-A-A7ESsxwkyKKdTCAHtRdjGiM5JBPEICE5M-YnNzljTsQ/s1600/BU_Arkema_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px;">Medical catheter application (photo: Arkema)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
<span class="h_crosstitle" style="-webkit-appearance: none; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="-webkit-appearance: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Medical tubing extrusion</strong></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
<a href="http://www.milacron.com/" style="-webkit-appearance: none; color: #2b2b2b; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Milacron Extrusion Systems</a> showcased the Cincinnati Milacron PAK250 – 63.5mm single screw medical extruder along with the Multi Pass Tank specifically designed for medical extrusion. The most common product produced by this machine is flexible PVC for non-phthalate plasticisers.</div>
<div style="-webkit-appearance: none; background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Lustria-Regular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 10px 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>

Single-use syringes, cannulas – and beyond

Single-use syringes, cannulas – and beyond Be it contact lenses, intubation tubes, single-use syringes or cannulas, more than half of...

TPE features high stability during sterilisation

TPE features high stability during sterilisation

TPE features high stability during sterilisation Actega DS offers product solutions for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical ...

HIPS alternative: copolyester for medical applications

HIPS alternative: copolyester for medical applications

HIPS alternative: copolyester for medical applications Eastman Chemical Company has launched a new copolyester for medical applicati...

Polyzen expands cleanroom film operations

Polyzen expands cleanroom film operations

Polyzen expands cleanroom film operations Class 10,000 environment for regulated medical devices Film made of TPU, TPE, fluoropolymer...

PARA & PAEK can replace metal in surgical retractors

PARA & PAEK can replace metal in surgical retractors

PARA & PAEK can replace metal in surgical retractors PARA for single-use applications: strength & rigidity supasses PEEK PAE...

Foster introduces nano reinforced compounds for catheters

Foster introduces nano reinforced compounds for catheters

Foster introduces nano reinforced compounds for catheters Radiopaque compounds reinforced with nanoparticles Single material designe...

Innovations in Plastics Drive Past, Present and Future Medical Care

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiD2qN2xASvgHJEQpTDOptvrQ4XDTcWDYxBaho8t9xtPhZVfnHmjnYntZUr0F9zcwY1uFrr6hohjcgifQ6Rwp7DhGzhIEF4jiugLwYpzxDxpXluLqA29VDzaJhWftSXabMvpLmUG0E-PA/s1600/medicalq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiD2qN2xASvgHJEQpTDOptvrQ4XDTcWDYxBaho8t9xtPhZVfnHmjnYntZUr0F9zcwY1uFrr6hohjcgifQ6Rwp7DhGzhIEF4jiugLwYpzxDxpXluLqA29VDzaJhWftSXabMvpLmUG0E-PA/s1600/medicalq.jpg" /></a></div>
<h1 class="entry-title" style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2b3130; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; vertical-align: baseline;">
Innovations in Plastics Drive Past, Present and Future Medical Care</h1>
<div>
<div align="center" style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Ever stop and look around during a doctor or hospital visit? Even a cursory look reveals dozens of medical instruments and hygienic tools made with plastics: protective examination gloves, sterile bandages and gauze, syringes that help prevent infection, IV tubes and bags that guard against contamination—all made possible by plastics.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Frankly, plastics so pervade the medical field that we often take them for granted. But recent advances could lead to even more innovations that could really get our attention … and help people all around the world. Here are some examples:</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Plastic Heart: Plastic tubes act like heart valves to let blood in and out of two plastic ventricles in an artificial heart that helps extend the lives of patients waiting for transplants. Implanted in more than 1,000 patients, the plastic heart has extended lives by more than 270 years, according to its manufacturer. U.S. regulators now are reviewing an accompanying mobile power supply carried in a backpack, so suitable patients could leave the hospital and live at home.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Lifesaving Plastic Foam: A novel use of polyurethane foam is being explored to stabilize trauma patients with internal injuries on the battlefield. The U.S. government is studying the use of polyurethane foam to fill injured body cavities following severe internal injury from combat. The foam expands inside the body, conforming to the shape of injured tissue and reducing blood loss, before the surgeon removes the foam in one piece. Based on recent tests, researchers estimate that this technology could significantly boost post-injury survival rates.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Polycarbonate Medical Devices: An extremely tough, clear plastic, polycarbonate now is being used to make transparent surgical tools, such as cannulas (small tubes inserted into the body) that enable arthroscopic surgery. Since polycarbonate is clear, surgeons gain better visibility of sutures and surgical knots during the procedure.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Vaccination Patches: Researchers are developing a plastic skin patch that could replace many painful injections. The patch contains plastic “micro-needles” that dissolve into the skin, painlessly delivering vaccinations for a variety of diseases, including the flu. Patients might even be able to administer the vaccine themselves.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Resorbable Heart Stent: A plastic heart stent can open a clogged artery to restore blood flow to the heart—and then slowly dissolve into the body. This resorbable plastic could eliminate the need for another invasive procedure to remove the stent, as well as reduce the likelihood of blood clots and scarring.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
3-D Body Part Printing: Researchers are using a layered assembly manufacturing technique—called “3-D printing”—to create medical devices and implants using plastics. For example, a type of polyester plastic (polycaprolactone) and living cells are combined into a material used to make 3-D printed implants to replace human ear cartilage. The combination of materials makes the body more likely to respond favorably to the implant, according to researchers.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Bacteria-Resistant Plastics: Several newly discovered plastics might contribute to reduced infections. These plastics have “nonstick” surfaces that bacteria aren’t attracted to, which could help prevent contamination from bacteria-laden “biofilms.” The plastics could be used to make catheters or medical equipment to help ward off preventable disease.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Self-healing Prosthetics: Researchers are developing a new plastic “skin” that recognizes when it’s been damaged and responds by healing itself. The plastic skin mimics the flexibility and sensitivity of human skin—it becomes electrically conducive by adding a bit of nickel. The plastic skin can restore its mechanical and electrical properties after being cut … and repeat that cycle over and over again. Among other applications, researchers hope the self-healing plastic may be used to manufacture lifelike prosthetic limbs that heal themselves after injury—much the way human skin does.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Printing human ears … delivering painless vaccines … reducing blood loss on the battlefield …  see-through medical devices. Plastics are helping drive innovations in medical care that were only dreams a few years ago.</div>
</div>
</div>

Innovations in Plastics Drive Past, Present and Future Medical Care

Innovations in Plastics Drive Past, Present and Future Medical Care Ever stop and look around during a doctor or hospital visit? Even...

Innovations in Plastics Continue to Revolutionize Medical Care

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8ubyXK-l94Mcw1469V5JoRSQ-cR1CJgiqTrIMF9LElkktcq45OUwuq6tl-dZgpZyWUmwooxi-eWZOffnKiShaN8Mklfvsmd1Ag6TVkdODVCwO8dr1ItvFCXy0EHzIT8IPBxiBfGh_Scz/s1600/medical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8ubyXK-l94Mcw1469V5JoRSQ-cR1CJgiqTrIMF9LElkktcq45OUwuq6tl-dZgpZyWUmwooxi-eWZOffnKiShaN8Mklfvsmd1Ag6TVkdODVCwO8dr1ItvFCXy0EHzIT8IPBxiBfGh_Scz/s1600/medical.jpg" /></a></div>
<h1 class="entry-title" style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2b3130; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; vertical-align: baseline;">
Innovations in Plastics Continue to Revolutionize Medical Care</h1>
<div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Some of us are old enough to remember how fragile glass blood bottles didn’t always make it to their intended destination. Others maybe remember them hanging precariously next to the surgeons in TV shows such as M*A*S*H. Too often even a simple misstep would send leave that life-saving bottle crashing to the floor.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Those bottles serve as a clear symbol of how far medical care has advanced due to the widespread introduction of plastics into operating, emergency, and examination rooms.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In contrast to those old M*A*S*H episodes, envision the modern day operating room:</div>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pliable plastic blood bags that are never opened to contaminants;</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sanitary plastic intravenous tubes that deliver blood, electrolytes, and medicine;</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sterile plastic syringes that are used only once, to help prevent infection;</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tactile plastic gloves that protect surgeons and their patients;</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Medical equipment housed in tough, hygienic plastics;</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Life-extending, implantable medical devices such as artificial hearts;</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Operating lights, blood pressure gauges, bandages, respirators, surgical masks, monitors, gauze, tape … the list goes on, right down to the clogs many surgeons wear.</li>
</ul>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“A simple list of innovative medical devices, equipment, bandages and other items made possible by plastics could fill pages,” said Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council, which sponsors the Plastics Make it Possible® initiative. “And these innovations are surprisingly contemporary – for example, plastics became ubiquitous in the operating room only in the last quarter century.”</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Due their inherent physical properties – coupled with decades of research and engineering – plastics make possible many of the life-saving innovations in the operating room and beyond. Two basic advances alone – sterile plastic packaging and disposable medical items – have helped prevent countless infections, one of the world’s leading causes of death.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Many of these advances would seem like miracles to those surgeons dealing with trauma in that Korean theater. Today, these innovations have become standard operating procedure, so to speak.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Beyond trauma care</b></div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Helping save a soldier’s life on the operating table may be the most dramatic illustration of the uses of plastics in the medical field. But often it’s in the health care arena outside of trauma care that plastics are transforming millions – even billions – of people’s lives.  Day in and day out, innovations in plastics are helping ease pain, provide comfort and make our lives safer, healthier and longer… often while saving us money.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Here are a few examples – and make special note the number of people impacted.</div>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mobility – Plastic-based prosthetics are helping more and more people remain mobile, in some unexpected ways. More than 675,000 knee replacements are done each year, a number that is expected to rise to 4 million by 2030. Hip replacements are expected to rise from 325,000 per year to nearly 600,000 by 2030. And that’s only in the U.S. In addition, nearly 2 million people in this country have lost a limb, making them candidates for various prosthetics that rely on plastics and other materials. And it’s not always expensive, high-tech solutions to mobility that plastics help deliver – the non-profit Free Wheelchair Mission has shipped more than 670,000 wheelchairs that use a simple plastic lawn chair as the foundation to more than 80 developing countries. Cost: $72.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Medicine delivery – Two words: flu season. Millions of plastic syringes wrapped in plastic packaging will be utilized this year in the U.S. alone. And for those who are needle-phobic, plastics help provide a painless way for many of us to get vaccinated. Some flu vaccines now are delivered directly into the nose using a comfortable plastic spray applicator, avoiding the needle. Furthermore, prior to plastics, tamperproof and child-resistant caps did not exist – today they are widely used to help prevent contamination and accidental poisoning. And those caplets that dissolve slowly to control delivery of our medication? They’re made from plastics.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Eyesight – Prior to the invention of eyeglasses, the loss of clear vision had no remedy. Glass spectacles, invented in the Middle Ages, were often unaffordable. And fragile. Today’s eyeglasses made with polycarbonate and other plastics are relatively inexpensive, nearly unbreakable and resistant to scratches, making lifelong decent vision nearly universally accessible. Plastic contact lenses that provide better peripheral vision (and don’t get wet in the rain!) are used by more than 125 million people worldwide. And plastic corneas help restore loss of vision from birth defects, injuries and infections.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bandages – Flexible plastic strips began supplanting cotton-based bandages in the 1950s because they held up better to stretching and sweating while protecting wounds. These iconic strips and patches today also deliver medications, such as pharmaceuticals, birth control and nicotine. Newer – and now widely available – liquid bandages made from plastics and a solvent are designed to keep dirt and debris out of wounds and to reduce pain by covering nerve endings. Our military is increasingly using these bandages to cover wounds until full medical care is available. And liquid bandages are often replacing traditional sutures and staples in surgery, where they cause less trauma and do not need to be removed.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Combatting malaria – There are more than 200 million cases of malaria worldwide, and an estimated one million people in Africa die of malaria each year – mostly children. Plastic nets treated with insecticides save countless lives, although they have to be treated frequently, which presents significant logistical problems in poor, far-flung places. New technologies allow for long lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) that remain effective for five years by binding the insecticide to the surface or incorporating it into the plastic. To help further, companies such as BASF and Bayer produce kits to treat nets with insecticides on site – this allows previously untreated plastic nets to be transformed into lifesaving LLINs.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Emergency water treatment – When natural disasters destroy sources of clean drinking water, an innovative plastic pouch provides lifesaving relief to survivors. The HydroPack™ is a thin plastic pouch that contains an electrolyte and nutrient-rich powder – when dropped into contaminated water, the pouch’s plastic membranes absorb water while filtering out contaminants. Disaster victims – from New Orleans to Haiti to Kenya – simply punched a straw through the pouch and drank.</li>
</ul>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What’s on the horizon? </b></div>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Innovative advances are difficult to predict, but many promising technologies are under development… made possible by plastics.</div>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nonstick plastics that repel bacteria – Scientists have discovered some “slicker” plastics that do not present an attractive surface for bacteria to cling and accumulate. These plastics could be used to make catheters and medical equipment that can get contaminated and gather bacteria-laden “biofilms.”</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Plastic skin patches that deliver vaccines – Micro-needle patches made from polyvinyl pyrrolidone are being developed that can be mixed with vaccines (including the flu vaccine) and then painlessly applied to skin. The plastic and vaccine would quickly dissolve in bodily fluids, leaving only a water-soluble backing that can easily be discarded. In many parts of the world, poor medical infrastructure and practices can lead to reuse of hypodermic needles, leading to the spread of deadly diseases, but micro-needle patches dissolve and cannot be reused.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Heart stents that dissolve – Researchers are developing plastic stents that can open clogged arteries and then slowly dissolve, greatly reducing the likelihood of blood clots, scarring and additional surgeries. These dissolving stents are approved for use in other countries and currently are undergoing U.S. regulatory review.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3-D printing – Touted as the next wave in manufacturing, 3-D “printing” creates objects by building them, layer upon layer, with various materials (often plastics). 3-D printing builds rather than “machines” a piece of material, and computer-aided drawing programs allow custom-built products. Already used to create hearings aids, dental fixtures and prosthetics, 3-D printing using plastics is rapidly advancing into surgical modeling, implants and the manufacture of medical devices.</li>
</ul>
<div style="background: rgb(232, 237, 235); border: 0px; color: #2d5955; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
And these innovations are likely only the beginning since plastics allow medical products to reduce parts, combine functions, and decrease costs – while improving quality.</div>
</div>
</div>

Innovations in Plastics Continue to Revolutionize Medical Care

Innovations in Plastics Continue to Revolutionize Medical Care Some of us are old enough to remember how fragile glass blood bottles ...

Resorbable plastic coronary stent is ready for prime time

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="title" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(206, 206, 206); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #022344; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 7px;">
Resorbable plastic coronary stent is ready for prime time</h1>
<div>
<h4 style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
</h4>
<h4 style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
                           The potential availability of resorbable plastic coronary stents in the United States is taking a giant step forward.<br />              </h4>
<h4 style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
                           Abbott announced it will enroll approximately 2250 patients in a clinical trial to compare the performance of the Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) device to another drug eluting stent system made of metal. The polymer drug eluting stent is already available for patient use in Europe and parts of Latin America and Asia.<br />Absorb is made of polylactide and works by opening a clogged vessel and restoring blood flow to the heart. It then dissolves into the blood vessel. Abbott said that preliminary evidence of natural vessel function suggests that treatment with an Absorb BVS could provide important clinical benefits.</h4>
<h4 style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
                           "With the introduction of balloon angioplasty in the 1970s, cardiologists wanted to open a blocked vessel without leaving anything behind. Absorb represents the latest innovation that may help us reach this goal, which could result in important long-term benefits related to the restoration of natural vessel function," said Stephen Ellis, M.D., section head of Interventional Cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic and co-primary investigator of the ABSORB III trial. "The data collected on Absorb from the ABSORB III trial could have the potential to drive significant changes in how cardiologists treat patients with coronary artery disease."</h4>
</div>
</div>

Resorbable plastic coronary stent is ready for prime time

Resorbable plastic coronary stent is ready for prime time The potential availability of resorbable plastic...

Researchers Develop Technique for 3D-Printing Cartilage Implants

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><u><span style="color: #cc0000;"> Researchers Develop Technique for 3D-Printing Cartilage Implants</span></u></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha8qIiYAAViq-9AYS2vgObqPh1DNGMCGAamIhqHCAnNwwhyphenhyphenm-DTse4AfA3vGD7ytYF_wS1we7GGPIyxHvhh7Hrod3JqwtPLmjpvzlZQ6etKHTHzrC8THsu7p8xVClhojmLGbZJw_nXIIp/s1600/3d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha8qIiYAAViq-9AYS2vgObqPh1DNGMCGAamIhqHCAnNwwhyphenhyphenm-DTse4AfA3vGD7ytYF_wS1we7GGPIyxHvhh7Hrod3JqwtPLmjpvzlZQ6etKHTHzrC8THsu7p8xVClhojmLGbZJw_nXIIp/s1600/3d.jpg" /></a></h2>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Researchers from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. have developed a technique for </span><a data-ls-seen="1" href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/3d-printing/" style="color: #96a411; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">3D printing</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> cartilage implants that could be used in the future to repair damaged cartilage in humans. The new technique solves some key problems with printing load-bearing tissue such as cartilage. To produce viable tissues for implants, technologies are needed that can provide a synthetic scaffold on which living cells can grow. Previous efforts have not been able to produce material that combines the mechanical characteristics of strength and flexibility with the ability to promote cell growth.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://inhabitat.com/researchers-develop-technique-for-3d-printing-of-cartilage-implants/#ixzz3EmLuHefE" style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none;">Researchers Develop Technique for 3D-Printing Cartilage Implants | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building</a> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IrG-4Ob3c2r2oIg6-5v2yK6jInJMhjnVb59EL2hcwELzInXqID29Es7DWt-TEpQaOCvlY2pITs4ciB76cB7WJdUbGqLpNyeUKjobkjoeVcKA4qJWeY8Nhi6MuLdcksf157hQjLAQMZOr/s1600/3d+p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IrG-4Ob3c2r2oIg6-5v2yK6jInJMhjnVb59EL2hcwELzInXqID29Es7DWt-TEpQaOCvlY2pITs4ciB76cB7WJdUbGqLpNyeUKjobkjoeVcKA4qJWeY8Nhi6MuLdcksf157hQjLAQMZOr/s1600/3d+p.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">
The new technique is described in a paper, “<a data-ls-seen="1" href="http://iopscience.iop.org/1758-5090/5/1/015001/pdf/1758-5090_5_1_015001.pdf" style="color: #929201; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hybrid printing of mechanically and biologically improved constructs for cartilage tissue engineering applications</a>,” (free registration required for access) published this month in <em>Biofabrication</em> by Tao Xu and colleagues at the <a data-ls-seen="1" href="http://www.wakehealth.edu/WFIRM/" style="color: #929201; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine</a>. The new technique alternates “electrospinning” of synthetic polycaprolactone fibers with layers of living cells cultivated from rabbits’ ears. A study with mice confirms that implanted pads generated by the new method develop a cellular structure like that of natural cartilage.</div>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">
<a data-ls-seen="1" href="http://www.iop.org/news/12/nov/page_58984.html" style="color: #929201; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">An announcement from the Institute of Physics</a>, the publisher of the study, suggests how this new discovery might be used in the future:</div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<div style="font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">
Cartilage constructs could be clinically applied by using an MRI scan of a body part, such as the knee, as a blueprint for creating a matching construct. A careful selection of scaffold material for each patient’s construct would allow the implant to withstand mechanical forces while encouraging new cartilage to organize and fill the defect.</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">
The authors of the paper write that “This study demonstrates the feasibility of constructing a hybrid inkjet printing system using off-the-shelf components to produce cartilage constructs with improved biological and mechanical properties.”</div>
<br />
<br /></div>

Researchers Develop Technique for 3D-Printing Cartilage Implants

Researchers Develop Technique for 3D-Printing Cartilage Implants Researchers from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. have de...

How Prosthetic Limbs Work

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGDJmxpS8fMB3CCo1n51JkaSC0h9MMi1jtG31pGmcbr3ResZnmC9bWa073hAW_smL3FQgUrLWxkY5UAAVgkFK0CbQOl-VOQgIxIoAfZ0-TNwZBoPtIpezUlx8ZOjmUbl0eCwsUkRsU-7e/s1600/limb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGDJmxpS8fMB3CCo1n51JkaSC0h9MMi1jtG31pGmcbr3ResZnmC9bWa073hAW_smL3FQgUrLWxkY5UAAVgkFK0CbQOl-VOQgIxIoAfZ0-TNwZBoPtIpezUlx8ZOjmUbl0eCwsUkRsU-7e/s1600/limb.jpg" /></a></div>
<h1 class="articlePageTitle" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Modern Prosthetic Limbs</h1>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px;">
How do modern prosthetic limbs compare to those of historical times? One major difference is the presence of newer materials, such as advanced <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/plastic.htm" style="color: #005288; text-decoration: none;">plastics</a> and carbon-fiber composites. These materials can make a prosthetic limb lighter, stronger and more realistic. Electronic technologies make today's advanced prosthetics more controllable, even capable of automatically adapting their function during certain tasks, such as gripping or walking.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px;">
While new materials and technologies have certainly modernized prosthetics over the past century, the basic components of prosthetic limbs remain the same. Let's go over some of these.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<strong style="font-style: inherit;">The pylon</strong> is the internal frame or skeleton of the prosthetic limb.  The pylon must provide structural support and has traditionally been formed of metal rods. In more recent times, lighter carbon-fiber composites have been used to form the pylons. The pylons are sometimes enclosed by a cover, typically made from a foam-like material. The cover can be shaped and colored to match the recipient's skin tone to give the prosthetic limb a more</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px;">
lifelike appearance.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<strong style="font-style: inherit;">The socket</strong> is the portion of the prosthetic device that interfaces with the patient's limb stump or <strong style="font-style: inherit;">residual limb</strong>. Because the socket transmits forces from the prosthetic limb to the patient's body, it must be meticulously fitted to the residual limb to ensure that it doesn't cause irritation or damage to the skin or underlying tissues. A soft liner is typically situated within the interior of the socket, and a patient might also wear a layer of one or more prosthetic socks to achieve a more snug fit.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<strong style="font-style: inherit;">The suspension system</strong> is what keeps the prosthetic limb attached to the body. The suspension mechanism can come in several different forms. For example, in the case of a harness system, straps, belts or sleeves are used to attach the prosthetic device. For some types of amputations, the prosthetic is able to stay attached just by fitting around the shape of the residual limb. One of the most common types of suspension mechanisms relies on suction. In this scenario, the prosthetic limb fits snugly onto the residual limb, and an airtight seal keeps it in place.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px;">
Though most prosthetic limbs have these basic components in some form, each device is unique and designed for a specific type and level of amputation. Whether an amputation is above or below major joints, like the elbow or knee, makes a big difference in what type of prosthetic limb is required. For example, a <strong style="font-style: inherit;">transfemoral amputation</strong> -- an amputation above the knee -- requires a prosthetic device with an artificial knee, while a <strong style="font-style: inherit;">transtibial amputation</strong> -- an amputation below the knee -- allows the patient to retain the use of his or her own knee.</div>
</div>
</div>

How Prosthetic Limbs Work

Modern Prosthetic Limbs How do modern prosthetic limbs compare to those of historical times? One major difference is the presence of ...

Self-Healing Plastic 'Skin' Points Way to New Prosthetics

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 32px; line-height: 38.4000015258789px;">Self-Healing Plastic 'Skin' Points Way to New Prosthetics</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVnDn-1vaN13-d_ECxlNdySR-tJM1ZwIsDPFfOw9HTbPdmdWltytI9Ewe0phvJcxjaTunlaXYmTPG-tq1itRI8IlewsTguv3ViRN6ckyS16zjDc9Rjxd_NG0X9YrTHWFPTeKP_YhwxHqz/s1600/skin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVnDn-1vaN13-d_ECxlNdySR-tJM1ZwIsDPFfOw9HTbPdmdWltytI9Ewe0phvJcxjaTunlaXYmTPG-tq1itRI8IlewsTguv3ViRN6ckyS16zjDc9Rjxd_NG0X9YrTHWFPTeKP_YhwxHqz/s1600/skin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-align: start;">Cutting edge.</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-align: start;"> After it was divided with a scalpel, a new polymer was able to heal itself, restoring most of its mechanical and electrical properties in 15 seconds.</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">
       Human skin is a special material: It needs to be flexible, so that it doesn't crack every time a user clenches his fist. It needs to be sensitive to stimuli like touch and pressure—which are measured as electrical signals, so it needs to conduct electricity. Crucially, if it's to survive the wear and tear it's put through every day, it needs to be able to repair itself. Now, researchers in California may have designed a synthetic version—a flexible, electrically conductive, self-healing polymer.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">
The result is part of a decadelong miniboom in "epidermal electronics"—the production of circuits thin and flexible enough to be attached to skin (for use as wearable heart rate monitors, for example) or to provide skinlike touch sensitivity to prosthetic limbs. The problem is that silicon, the base material of the electronics industry, is brittle. So various research groups have investigated different ways to produce flexible electronic sensors.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">
Chemists, meanwhile, have become increasingly interested in "self-healing" polymers. This sounds like science fiction, but several research groups have produced plastics that can join their cut edges together when scientists heat them, shine a light on them, or even just hold the cut edges together. In 2008, researchers at ESPCI ParisTech showed that a specially designed rubber compound could recover its mechanical properties after being broken and healed repeatedly.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">
Chemical engineer Zhenan Bao of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, and her team combined these two concepts and explored the potential of self-healing polymers in epidermal electronics. However, all the self-healing polymers demonstrated to date had had very low bulk electrical conductivities and would have been little use in electrical sensors. Writing in <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Nature Nanotechnology, </em>the researchers detail how they increased the conductivity of a self-healing polymer by incorporating nickel atoms, allowing electrons to "jump" between the metal atoms. The polymer is sensitive to applied forces like pressure and torsion (twisting) because such forces alter the distance between the nickel atoms, affecting the difficulty the electrons have jumping from one to the other and changing the electrical resistance of the polymer.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">
To demonstrate that both the mechanical and the electrical properties of the material could be repeatedly restored to their original values after the material had been damaged and healed, the researchers cut the polymer completely through with a scalpel. After pressing the cut edges together gently for 15 seconds, the researchers found the sample went on to regain 98% of its original conductivity. And crucially, just like the ESPCI group's rubber compound, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2012.192" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2e4376; text-decoration: none;">the Stanford team's polymer could be cut and healed over and over again</a>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">
"I think it's kind of a breakthrough," says John J. Boland, a chemist at the CRANN nanoscience institute at Trinity College Dublin. "It's the first time that we've seen this combination of both mechanical and electrical self-healing." He is, however, skeptical about one point: "With a scalpel you can very precisely cut the material without inducing significant local mechanical deformation around the wound." Failure due to mechanical tension, however, could stretch the material, producing significant scarring and preventing complete self-healing, he suspects.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">
Now, Bao and her fellow researchers are working to make the polymer more like human skin. "I think it will be very interesting if we can make the self-healing skin elastic," she says, "because, while it's currently flexible, it's still not stretchable. That's definitely something we're moving towards for our next-generation self-healing skin."</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 32px; line-height: 38.4000015258789px;"><br /></span></div>

Self-Healing Plastic 'Skin' Points Way to New Prosthetics

Self-Healing Plastic 'Skin' Points Way to New Prosthetics Cutting edge. After it was divided with a scalpel, a new polymer was ...

Dissolving microneedle patches – clean, painless, longer-lasting vaccinations

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VvMHZ97qRx4KZOD2cOIpZHzb968rHjub1mGczzu6-AVJpR5123WXhzX7iASXh8OnRRB-9mSGzYzz8TqH6DKO9pNZHRy9AIBoJ9xsAQ3z76NOnkBKwt0-UrDNCx3lgl7c7PsoAhdLlOPx/s1600/vaccine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VvMHZ97qRx4KZOD2cOIpZHzb968rHjub1mGczzu6-AVJpR5123WXhzX7iASXh8OnRRB-9mSGzYzz8TqH6DKO9pNZHRy9AIBoJ9xsAQ3z76NOnkBKwt0-UrDNCx3lgl7c7PsoAhdLlOPx/s1600/vaccine.jpg" /></a></div>
<h1 id="ar_title" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #f36031; font-family: OpenSansLight, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 40px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 46px; margin: 5px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">
Dissolving microneedle patches – clean, painless, longer-lasting vaccinations</h1>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Doctors have been using hypodermic needles for more than 150 years - but syringe vaccinations could be just about to be replaced by a simple patch you can stick on your arm with no medical supervision. The </span>microneedle patches<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"> have an array of microscopic needles on them that penetrate the skin just deep enough to dissolve and deliver a vaccine without causing any pain. There's no sharp hazardous waste left over, they're no more expensive than a syringe, and most importantly, tests on mice are showing that microneedle vaccinations are significantly longer-lasting than deeper injections delivered by syringe.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFreXfqIVUuF-cqi3QLR_eOapAUoiOiUO1PQqkUgdPosDD1yrCZhcmKzrZziet0gBvho9nobJPOwyBEUMLcNOK1gJoscAHW1e4L6jEEax_Tkyu51lfHKSZbHXVnlSIXiXrSSjP98XS2Bu/s1600/microneedle-patch-vacci.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFreXfqIVUuF-cqi3QLR_eOapAUoiOiUO1PQqkUgdPosDD1yrCZhcmKzrZziet0gBvho9nobJPOwyBEUMLcNOK1gJoscAHW1e4L6jEEax_Tkyu51lfHKSZbHXVnlSIXiXrSSjP98XS2Bu/s1600/microneedle-patch-vacci.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAw4I9v9xiVzIPTkUEym1uqyaRLHLbYNz1HmHTjEt6XjgqweddTo4hmnkl3ti9NNusc5trMzTDtLSHQHeWeDTBFIe1XyKi3X7-ab3lXEnF9jtuzZEGRvS2m_0h_Al2TDJSivCprzySPqg9/s1600/microneedle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAw4I9v9xiVzIPTkUEym1uqyaRLHLbYNz1HmHTjEt6XjgqweddTo4hmnkl3ti9NNusc5trMzTDtLSHQHeWeDTBFIe1XyKi3X7-ab3lXEnF9jtuzZEGRvS2m_0h_Al2TDJSivCprzySPqg9/s1600/microneedle.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />
 <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Hypodermic needles are somewhere between 150 and 350 years old, and while they perform a critical function in modern medicine, they certainly have their drawbacks. For starters, you need to know exactly where to stick them, to make sure drugs are delivered to the right spot and nothing else is damaged – so you really need a medical professional to administer them. Then, once you're done, you've got a pointy little biohazard to deal with that could easily spread all sorts of diseases if it pokes somebody else. And let's not forget, while only a small percentage of people have a true fear of needles, they're really not all that pleasant for the rest of us either.</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
So biodegradable microneedle patches offer a real advance for certain applications – particularly vaccinations.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Microneedle patches are self-applied band-aid style adhesives that can be applied to any area of the skin. The active area is an array of tiny needles, just 650 microns in length, or 0.65mm. As the patch is applied to the skin, the microneedles penetrate the top layer of skin, but not deeply enough to activate any pain receptors.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Here's where things get really clever–- the microneedles are made from a harmless dissolving polymer that's mixed with a freeze-dried vaccine. So instead of the needles injecting a fluid, the needles quickly dissolve to<em>become</em> the fluid. When you pull the patch off, there's nothing sharp left on it, you can throw it straight in the bin without worrying that it'll be a hazard to others.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Recent tests using the microneedle patches to vaccinate mice against the influenza virus showed an extra benefit – it seems that the outermost layers of skin, where these patches drop their load of vaccine, are more effective sites for vaccination than the deeper layers you hit with a hypodermic needle.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
"The skin is a particularly attractive site for immunization because it contains an abundance of the types of cells that are important in generating immune responses to vaccines," said Richard Compans, professor of microbiology and immunology at Emory University School of Medicine.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
A joint study by researchers from Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology found that microneedle vaccination was just as effective as deep tissue injection in the short term, but that it was significantly more effective when the mice were exposed to the disease three months after vaccination.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
So the advantages in a nutshell would appear to be:</div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 10px 0px 10px 30px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px;">1) No painful piercing of the skin</li>
<li style="line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px;">2) They can be self-applied, sold through the mail or over the counter</li>
<li style="line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px;">3) No sharp hazardous waste after immunization</li>
<li style="line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px;">4) More effective vaccinations</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
On top of this, the microneedle patches aren't expected to be any more expensive than the cost of a vaccine syringe - and they should end up offering a much cheaper process as they cut down on manpower and waste disposal requirements.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Naturally, clinical studies on humans are required before they can go into production, but at this stage, microneedle patches look like they make a lot of sense. I'm sure doctors would agree it'll all be worth it for every time they don't have to see that look of terror in a kid's eye.</div>
</div>

Dissolving microneedle patches – clean, painless, longer-lasting vaccinations

Dissolving microneedle patches – clean, painless, longer-lasting vaccinations Doctors have been using hypodermic needles for more than...

Urethane foam stems abdominal blood loss

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUlHbtcwXonz5LjyOqvwJS2M2ilyticBzDrtA4INELIHpeMlUZOmmDOKcACDYfj6e98f6k9915BcRQkdNBcnMhZwPP4qlfaYL93bfjSXSjnhmGXCbKIk70tdLqeAV-YbHWU2jHlBv_uzO/s1600/foam.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUlHbtcwXonz5LjyOqvwJS2M2ilyticBzDrtA4INELIHpeMlUZOmmDOKcACDYfj6e98f6k9915BcRQkdNBcnMhZwPP4qlfaYL93bfjSXSjnhmGXCbKIk70tdLqeAV-YbHWU2jHlBv_uzO/s1600/foam.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
<h1 class="title" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(206, 206, 206); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #022344; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 7px;">
Urethane foam stems abdominal blood loss</h1>
<div>
<div style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Production of polyurethane foam within a human abdomen can cut blood loss six-fold and boost survival rate at three hours post-injury to 72%.</span></div>
<div style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">The U.S. military is studying the technology developed by <a class="ext" href="http://www.arsenalmedical.com/about-us/board-directors" style="color: #104a91; text-decoration: none;">Arsenal Medical</a><span class="ext" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.plasticstoday.com/sites/all/modules/extlink/extlink.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; padding-right: 12px; zoom: 1;"></span> (Watertown, MA) as a way to staunch blood loss from severe internal injuries suffered in combat.</span></div>
<div style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">"Currently, there are no effective pre-hospital treatments available for intra-abdominal bleeding on the battlefield," says David King, MD, a trauma surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital with medical combat experience. "Our ultimate goal is to find innovative ways to improve treatment and save lives of those who are serving their country, as well as those who experience serious injury through trauma."</span></div>
<div style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Earlier this month, Arsenal Medical was awarded a Phase II contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to support continued development of its foam approach to control intra-abdominal hemorrhage. DARPA has provided $22.5 million for the program to date.</span></div>
<div style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Liquid polyol and isocyanate are injected into the abdominal cavity, triggering two chemical reactions, starting with creation of foam that expands to approximately 30 times its original volume while conforming to the surfaces of injured tissue. Then the foam becomes solid, enabling it to resist intra-abdominal blood loss. According to DARPA, the foam can expand through pooled and clotted blood and withstand the hydrostatic force of an active hemorrhage.</span></div>
<div style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Surgeons can remove the foam in one block in less than one minute. Features appearing in relief indicate partial encapsulation of the small and large bowels, spleen, and liver. There is no blood inside the foam.</span></div>
<div style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">"Wound Stasis has been an exciting program because we were able to move unexpectedly from fundamental research to a pre-clinical proof-of-concept based on the strength of our findings," says Brian Holloway, DARPA program manager. "According to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, internal hemorrhage is the leading cause of potentially survivable deaths on the battlefield, so the Wound Stasis effort should ultimately translate into an increased rate of survival among warfighters. If testing bears out, the foam technology could affect up to 50% of potentially survivable battlefield wounds.</span></div>
<div style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.996000289917px; margin-bottom: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Swine injury model data has been used to test the foam."</span></div>
</div>
</div>

Urethane foam stems abdominal blood loss

Urethane foam stems abdominal blood loss Production of polyurethane foam within a human abdomen can cut blood loss six-fold and boost...

Plastic Innovations