Reducing the negative impact of disinfectants on medical equipment
One of the biggest battles in modern healthcare is the fight against hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). A key line of defense is the frequent use of powerful disinfectants to clean medical equipment surfaces. But what impact do these strong chemicals have on the durability of that equipment? The answer depends on the materials used.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), of every 100 hospitalized patients, seven in high-income countries and about 15 in low- and middle-income countries will acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection.
“Frequent cleaning and disinfection of hospital surfaces has increased to try to combat the rise in HAIs, with several consequences,” explains Natalie Dragunat, Healthcare Marketing Manager at Syensqo. “First, different disinfectants are often applied throughout the day to the same surfaces and the way these chemicals react can degrade the material they are applied to. Second, some pieces of medical equipment are handled by multiple people throughout the day and are at significant risk of being dropped. So, they not only need to withstand disinfectants, but they also need to be strong enough to deal with impact.”
The hard truth
Lower-performing polymers such as polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), which are commonly used in medical housing equipment and components, often fail to deliver both durability and chemical resistance. With Syensqo’s specialty polymers, however, it’s a different story.
Our Kalix® HPPA (high-performance polyamide) is an excellent candidate to replace these lower-performing plastics because it can often be used by modifying existing injection mold tooling. Ixef® PARA (polyarylamide) is better suited for metal replacement applications that require newly designed molds. Both specialty polymers offer high stiffness, dimensional stability, and excellent chemical resistance.
Udel® PSU (polysulfone) is a tough, rigid, high-strength, transparent polymer offering high heat and chemical resistance, making it particularly suited for dental sterilizer housings and other transparent medical components. Radel® PPSU (polyphenylsulfone), on the other hand, delivers the highest performance among all sulfone polymers.
“Radel® PPSU is our top-of-the-line polymer. It offers high impact resistance, making it ideal for handheld devices, such as barcode readers, which are frequently dropped,” says Natalie.
Proven performance for infection control
To support customers in material selection, Syensqo provides extensive testing data showing the resistance of its specialty polymers to a wide range of common healthcare disinfectants. This helps medical device manufacturers ensure their products can withstand repeated exposure to cleaning agents without compromising performance or safety.
“Our Udel PSU was first introduced in 1965, so we’ve been in healthcare for over 60 years,” explains Natalie. “Our portfolio includes Syensqo Biomaterials for long-term implantable device applications, medical-grade polymers for devices with limited contact with bodily fluids and tissues, and high-performance polymers for medical equipment applications with no direct contact with the body. With the heightened focus on preventing the spread of hospital-acquired infections, and the growing need for durable, disinfectant-resistant plastics, Syensqo’s solutions have a key role to play in helping to ensure better patient outcomes, no matter the challenge.”
