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The Skin-ny on a New Grade of Bayblend®

Continuing its role as a leader in materials for the healthcare market, Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) introduces Bayblend® M301 FR polycarbonate/ABS blend – an innovative material developed specifically for use with surface device applications contacting intact skin.

 Bayblend M301 FR meets Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ISO 10993-5 for cytotoxicity and ISO 10993-10 for irritation and sensitization testing requirements. Potential applications include insulin pumps and respiratory devices, among others.

“The material’s combination of physical properties, flame retardance and compliance with these three ISO biocompatibility standards provides medical device and equipment manufacturers with an added safety factor and increased confidence. This, in turn, may potentially streamline the approval process so they are able to bring life-saving products to market more quickly,” said Kevin Dunay, market segment leader, Medical Polycarbonates NAFTA, BMS.

The resin is supplied in pellet form for injection molding applications and is available in opaque gray. Other opaque colors that utilize biocompatibility tested colorants can also be formulated.  The flame retardant additive to this grade is antimony-, bromine-, and chlorine-free.

Bayblend M301 FR polycarbonate/ABS blend is the latest in a long line of material innovations from BMS. For almost 50 years, medical device OEMs and the healthcare market have relied on BMS’ proven materials and technical expertise. It’s a track record that includes Makrolon polycarbonate utilized for the first blood oxygenators and renal dialyzers in the 1960s.

Click hereto find product information on Bayblend M301 FR polycarbonate/ABS blend.

For more information contact Bayer MaterialScience's Medical Market Manager Kevin Dunay at 412-777-2316 or kevin.dunay@bayerbms.com.

Look No Further: Innovative Ophthalmic Instruments Made Possible with Makrolon® Polycarbonate

The Grieshaber Revolution™ DSP micro forceps and scissors from Alcon Greishaber AG are a new generation of instruments to help combat vision-impairing retinal disease. And you don't have to look very hard to see why these instruments are revolutionary: The forceps and scissors can be freely rotated while being used, unlike similar commercial surgical instruments.

This extremely beneficial function is made possible in part by a plastic basket of thin-walled ribs that forms part of the instrument body - thin-walled ribs that required a material with strength, stiffness and toughness. Of course, Alcon Greishaber, a leading medical technology manufacturer based in Switzerland, called upon Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) for such a material, and Makrolon® 2458 polycarbonate resin was a perfect fit.

"Our Makrolon 2458 polycarbonate, which is approved for medical applications, fulfilled all these requirements. Its excellent dimensional stability also makes it possible for this delicate injection-molded component to be easily demolded and for the forceps or scissors to work reliably," explains Markus Krieter, Medical Market Manager in the Polycarbonates Business Unit of BMS AG.

Of the single-use operating instrument's individual components, eight are made of Makrolon polycarbonate. The manufacturer of these polycarbonate parts is Gebr. Renggli AG in Schaffhausen, an internationally renowned expert in precision injection molding and mold construction. The parts are manufactured using a laminar flow process, then cleaned and finished in a cleanroom. The actual instruments themselves are assembled in a cleanroom at Alcon Grieshaber.

This application reinforces how versatile Makrolon polycarbonate resin can bring even the most revolutionary health care products - like the Grieshaber Revolution DSP micro forceps and scissors - to life.

The Colorful Cure for ISO-Compliance

The new colors that join the existing Rx Medical colors of Gamma, Scope and Twilight allow more versatility in bringing the beige and white healthcare market to life:

• Electro - Electro, a modern-looking medium blue tempered with gray, adds a little zing to confidence and practicality.
• First Aid - A whimsical take on beige, First Aid is a light brown dabbling in gray. It's soothing for a natural, understated look.
• Stat - An attention grabbing red/purple/gray hybrid with a muted personality, Stat also manages to be professional and secure
• X-Ray - Tinged with a hint of gray, X-Ray is modern take on the "standard" bleach-white color traditionally used in the medical industry and a radical departure from boring beige.

"The medical industry is heavily regulated for safety, but this has also made it a challenge for our customers to find ISO-compliant colors for medical applications," said Kevin Dunay, BMS Market Segment Leader for Consumer and Healthcare Markets. "Bayer is a leader for polycarbonates used in medical applications. We are expanding on this leadership and increasing the versatility of our materials by offering our customers a wide range of innovative color choices for medical applications.

Click here to view the full press release.

For more information contact Bayer MaterialScience's Medical Market Manager Kevin Dunay at 412-777-2316 or kevin.dunay@bayerbms.com.

Paging A New Family of Coatings to Surgery

Building on its experience in polyurethane coatings chemistry, Bayer MaterialScience recently developed a new family of hydrophilic coatings intended to increase the lubricity of medical devices. Relevant applications include catheters, guidewires, leads, and endoscopes, where reduced friction with tissue during surgical procedures is desired. They are also ideal in applications where resistance to mechanical stress is a concern.

The hydrophilic coatings, with a tensile strength of about 25 MPa (3600 psi), are particularly strong compared with competing products. Also, the volumetric swelling in water is small (10-35 percent), whereas most lubricious materials swell greatly into a hydrogel.

The hydrophilicity is achieved by means of a unique polymer architecture. As a coating is formed from the solution or dispersion upon drying, the hydrophilic end groups on the polymer molecule partition preferentially to the external surface. The enrichment of hydrophilic groups on the film surface results in water contact angles as low as 10°.

Several developmental formulations are available to meet specific requirements for flexibility, strength and degree of hydrophilicity. These products are experimental, and limited quantities are being sampled to qualified parties for evaluation.

For more information on Bayer MaterialScience's hydrophilic coatings, contact Paul Nowatzki at 412-777-3074 or paul.nowatzki@bayerbms.com.

Tough Stuff: Maximizing Impact Resistance of Molded Medical Components

Medical devices are one of the most critical instruments in the world - and Bayer MaterialScience materials play a huge role in the design of those life-saving applications.  Factors such as miniaturization, portability, and the high risks associated with part failure compel medical device manufacturers to optimize part toughness.

In an article titled Enhancing Impact Resistance and Toughness in Molded Medical Parts, author Mark Yeager, Principal Engineer, Bayer MaterialScience, examines the necessary attributes that should be taken into consideration when a medical device is designed and produced. The paper examines material selection, stress concentrators, molding and finishing, and part geometry in order to achieve maximum toughness in an injection molded component for a medical device.

To view the entire article, please click here.

Sustainability Means Business

More information about Bayer's Sustainable Development Report 2007 click here.