Clinton’s Techmer PM unveiling new line of materials for medical devices and healthcare applications
Techmer PM LLC, the Clinton-headquartered compounder and materials design firm, will be introducing its new “HC” brand of materials for medical devices and healthcare applications at “MD&M West” next week in Anaheim, CA.
More than 13,000 individuals and 1,400 exhibitors from 70 countries are expected at the three-day annual event that brings together medtech engineers, business leaders, disruptive companies, and innovative thinkers to create powerful solutions and life-changing medical devices.
Among the new products and capabilities that Techmer PM will showcase are:
- Silver ion- and copper-based antimicrobial technologies that are designed to kill or prevent reproduction and colonization of harmful microorganisms on the surface of the device or textiles such as hospital garments and bed linens. This is vital for fighting hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), which the U.S. government estimates kill nearly 100,000 people per year in the U.S. alone.
- Low-retention, fluorine-free technologies for pipettes, labware, and drug delivery devices such as its Plaslube® HC internally lubricated engineering thermoplastics. These help reduce friction and provide for complete evacuation of contents, which is vital given that many modern medicines can be thick and viscous, requiring additional pressure when dosing. The resulting materials offer a high-performing alternative to the increasingly restricted PFOA and PFAS chemical ingredients typically used in such applications.
- Additives that stabilize sterilizable resins such as polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyethylene, and other base polymers. These are effective against the undesired effects of both the gamma and e-beam sterilization processes and help eliminate yellowing, brittleness, and premature failure. Techmer embeds its nontoxic, powerful stabilizers into the polymer matrix of these resins, thereby boosting physical property retention significantly and reducing odors by as much as 60 percent.
- Colorants and additives that meet ISO10993 and USP Class VI compliance. Techmer PM has tested colorants and additives used to produce materials – in both compound and masterbatch forms – that meet ISO10993 and USP Class VI compliance. This allows it to formulate a product that will give customers the confidence that their products will meet those strict requirements when their device is tested, increasing the speed to market for medical device manufacturers.
- Rapid color prototyping and enhanced speed to market. Techmer PM’s team can leverage its HC portfolio of proven healthcare technologies along with its in-house-developed, web-based TechmerVision design app to execute reliable, rapid color prototyping. This helps customers quickly design safe and reliable drug delivery devices. In addition to ensuring the colorants are ISO 10993 and USP Class VI compliant, Techmer’s team of materials design experts will formulate with the least amount of shrinking and warping, ensuring the highest dimensional stability for the tightest tolerance requirements.
- Gaining ISO 13485 certification. Additionally, Techmer, on March 17, completed a stage 2 audit for ISO 13485 certification at its Batavia, Ill., site, which is already ISO 9001 certified. This is the final step in confirming that its quality management system at the plant conforms to all the requirements for safe medical device manufacturing.
- Unique laser marking solutions for medical devices. Inks and dyes can be messy and pose a safety risk when labeling drug delivery devices. Techmer PM’s Hifill® HC laser marking additives are non-leachable and sterilization-proof and provide a safer alternative to labeling and tracking drug delivery devices.
Long-time readers of teknovation.biz may recall the January 9, 2015, visit to the Techmer PM Clinton plant by then President Barack Obama and then Vice President Joe Biden to announce the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, a public-private partnership better known as IACMI.
