Nylon in the Medical Industry
Nylon is known to be:
1. Durable
2. Abrasion resistant
3. Heat stable
4. Anti-bacterial
5. Chemically inert
The above mentioned properties of Nylon became desirable in the medical industry as there was a greater need for hygiene and opened many potential medical applications with the use of nylon. Below are 2 examples of the different types of Nylon used in the medical industry.
MX-Nylon:
A high strength metal replacement material with a flexural modulus 50% greater than traditional polyamide 6/6 and 15% greater than polyetheretherketone (PEEK). At less than 25% the price of PEEK, MX-Nylon is an economical option for components that must be radiolucent and high strength.
Nylon 618:
Inert, pliable and slippery. This is recently implemented for use in the surgical industry which is further talked about below.
2. Abrasion resistant
3. Heat stable
4. Anti-bacterial
5. Chemically inert
The above mentioned properties of Nylon became desirable in the medical industry as there was a greater need for hygiene and opened many potential medical applications with the use of nylon. Below are 2 examples of the different types of Nylon used in the medical industry.
MX-Nylon:
A high strength metal replacement material with a flexural modulus 50% greater than traditional polyamide 6/6 and 15% greater than polyetheretherketone (PEEK). At less than 25% the price of PEEK, MX-Nylon is an economical option for components that must be radiolucent and high strength.
Nylon 618:
Inert, pliable and slippery. This is recently implemented for use in the surgical industry which is further talked about below.
APPLICATIONS
GAS MASKS
MX-Nylon is used in oxygen gas mask as it offers superior gas barrier properties, has excellent heat stability and a wide processing window that allows the material to be molded with other polymers for multi-layer packaging or containment systems that require low oxygen permeation.
Human Cartilage Replacement
Nylon 618 is inert and it is well tolerated by the human body. Thus, it is used to as a material to 3D print a joint for cartilage replacement surgeries instead of using metal replacements which can cause allergic reactions depending on the patient’s tolerance. Nylon 618 is durable and strong enough to support the weight of the human body, it is pliable and slippery which provides smooth movement of joint.
NYLON BED-SHEET LINEN
Nylon is flexible and when treated with chemicals like tetrabutyltitanate and octadecylamine, it takes on a water resistant property. Nylon is used in the bed-sheet fabric for hospital beds to prevent moisture and vapour of any kind (e.g. Bodyfluids) from staining and passing through into the bedding. This makes hospital beds more hygienic and it is easier for cleaning up.
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MEDICAL PACKAGING
Medical packaging looks for sterility—have to provide a microbial barrier, resist puncture, and survive sterilization, in their extruded plastic packaging.
Nylon is used in medical packaging for storing:
Nylon is used in medical packaging for storing:
- Medication
- Small equipments
- Urine test containers
- Blood transfusion packages
- Placenta storage
Sterilised Bags
Highly layered medical forming films with PE-tie-nylon-tie-PE-tie-nylon-tie-PE replaces previously used PP. Nylon is mainly used for its puncture resistance strength. Winpak Ltd qualified its first medical packaging film- nylon based structure with 11 layers for making sterilisable bags, the most highly layered coex film in medical packaging in the world. Nylon is now widely used for medical packaging due to it aiding in packaging cost reduction as number of layers increase automatically from having a tie layer to stick to the PE seal layer.
IMPLICATIONS
Efficient ContainmentAs Nylon is not easily punctured, it is used to reinforce durability of plastic to contain items used in healthcare varying from lightweight pills to heavier items like healthcare equipment. This is meant to keep the items uncontaminated and away from germs when it is transported from one place to another.
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ComfortNylon as discussed more indepth in textile, is a comfortable material when used as fabric. thus it is provides more comfortable and better sleep to hospital patients. It also does not cause skin irritation unlike coarser fabrics available in the market. It is smoother than rubber bed-linings that were originally used in hospital beds before they made a switch to nylon bed sheets.
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