How Plastics Affect the Medical Industry

 

Healthcare providers are always looking for new and innovative ways to enhance the quality of their medical parts and devices while cutting costs. While glass is known for being highly sanitary, there are additional benefits that plastics provide—and glass simply cannot compete. Re-usable and sanitary plastic components are helping medical practitioners overcome challenges in the medical industry every day.

Medical Devices

Plastics are used to develop and enhance new medical devices that improve patients’ lives. Some of these plastics help to improve stents, pacemakers, and joint replacements. As discussed in our previous blog, 6 Benefits of Metal Replacement with Plastic Parts, many metal devices are being replaced by plastic products because the components offer a longer lifespan; metal parts and devices can wear out prematurely and cause patients discomfort. Also, plastics can be molded into more intricate shapes and come with a lower cost of production.

Cost Savings

As we have discussed in our other blogs, plastic devices are cheaper to produce and replace than metal parts. Sterile and reusable plastics are saving everyone along the supply chain a lot of money because reusable plastics have longer-useful lives compared to single-use metal devices.

Improved Containers

Medical practitioners need strong, chemically inert containers to preserve medications, specimens, samples, and other important materials. Sterile plastics are replacing many glass and metal containers because plastics have the ability to resist some of the most hazardous substances. Plastics provide protective coatings and do not shatter like glass. That makes it safer to contain and transport hazardous materials in the medical industry.

Going Green

With plastics toughness and resistance to many stressors, they are used in service longer and kept out of the trash. This helps with diminishing their presence in landfills, especially if they have been in contact with hazardous substances. Metal devices wear out due to friction, and organic substances have the ability to interfere with their functionality, like corrosion. Longer-product use and strong structural ability translates to an eco-friendlier approach.

Increased Safety

Many patients are allergic to metal based devices such as knee replacements and joint implants. This is problematic and stressful for the patient because they are not receiving the proper treatment and care. The pain can cause allergic reactions, skin agitation, and pain where the metal is located in the body. There are sterile and hypo-allergenic plastics on the market to combat these problems. Many have the same structural integrity and power to replace metal medical devices, leaving the patient to be safer, happier, and healthier.

When we think about how many medical plastic parts are created through the injection molding process, the list is endless. Plastic surrounds us everywhere and has become a key part of our lives, especially in the medical industry. To learn more about the medical products that we can create, contact the experts at Midstate Mold.