In close collaboration with KRAIBURG TPE, medical components specialist NEXTIS has developed an articulated cover designed to protect the USB port on respiratory devices against dust and splash water entry.
Air Liquide Medical Systems (ALMS)
KRAIBURG TPE and NEXTIS partner on USB socket protection for respiratory devices
The part is moulded in a proven THERMOLAST compound that delivers a balance of high mechanical properties and aesthetics, ease of injection moulding, and reliable resistance against professional cleaners.
As a system supplier of medical components and assemblies, NEXTIS is moulding several parts for an advanced respirator from Air Liquide Medical Systems (ALMS), including a flexible protective cover for the device’s USP port.
NEXTIS R&D Manager Benoit Lafin said: “For this application, we needed a soft but resilient material that will reliably withstand the repeated opening and closing of the protective cover over the lifetime of the respiratory device, without deformation and loss of its sealing function. Based on our long-standing collaboration in other projects using thermoplastic elastomers from KRAIBURG TPE, we decided to partner with them again in taking this demanding part design into reality. Their material expertise and support helped us to speed up the development process and maintain overall cost-efficiency. Beyond medical devices, the solution can also be used for similar covers in industrial equipment, as well as in consumer and automotive electronics.”
The TPE compound selected for the articulated cover has proven to be a fit in many other soft-touch aesthetic and functional components. It offers excellent mechanical properties, such as high elongation at break and high tear resistance, as well as long-term dimensional stability, thanks to its low compression set.
The THERMOLAST range is available globally and can be easily recycled to meet the demands of enhanced sustainability in a circular plastics economy.