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Oncology drugs aggressively attack cancer but they can also do a number on the medical devices through which they travel.
“Medical device OEMs have told us that they were having issues with materials used to mold connectors that were not withstanding the aggressive solvents found in these drugs,” said Lauren Zetts, Market Segment Manager, Medical and Consumer Products, North America, at Covestro (Leverkusen, Germany). “That’s one of the reasons we developed Makrolon Rx3440, a medical-grade polycarbonate that combines durability, chemical resistance and transparency.” The material, which is typically used to mold luer and IV connectors, is making its debut this week at the co-located MD&M West and PLASTEC West event in Anaheim, CA. Covestro is exhibiting at booth 2221.
Extensive lab tests reportedly show that Makrolon Rx3440 provides best-in-class chemical and oncology drug resistance and stress retention to provide more reliable IV connections. The material also features structural integrity to allow for thin-walled designs and dimensional stability during the shipping and storage process, added Covestro.
When developing the material, Covestro also created tooling to test the sample luer connectors, added Zetts. Some of those test connectors are on display at the Covestro booth, along with a set of cracked and otherwise damaged connectors made from materials that did not have appropriate chemical and oncology drug resistance. The device performs immersion testing under real-life loading and adjustable force, allowing accelerated aging. Covestro is making the testing device available to test customer applications for their luer connector designs using its Makrolon materials.
MD&M West and PLASTEC West run through Feb. 8 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
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