Plastics have long been receiving criticism from across the world, and there is a point in those condemnations, too; the material has caused enough damage for it to have a separate environmental hazard named after it – plastic pollution.
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However, some researchers in various industries, especially healthcare, have looked beyond the harm caused by plastics and instead found a minefield of benefits offered by them, particularly in medical devices.
This has led to medical plastics becoming a well-established market on its own. As per research by Fortune Business Insights, the medical plastics market value is anticipated to reach USD 54.29 billion by 2027.
Medical plastics, as the name suggests, are plastics used in the production of medical devices, such as syringes, inhalation masks, and IV tubes. You may be surprised to know that the use of plastics in healthcare products is not a recent phenomenon. Let’s understand how this humble material became a mainstay in the medical industry and replaced its popular counterpart – metals.
History of Using Plastics in Medical Devices
Metals have been in use in healthcare for a long time as they are highly versatile; they are still majorly used in the production of a wide range of medical devices, ranging from steel plates and dental implants to surgical instruments. However, the reuse of metal-based medical instruments increased patients’ risk of contracting Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs). In addition to this, the high expenses involved in the procurement of metals to make these devices made it challenging for device makers to continue working with metals. These factors acted as a catalyst for healthcare researchers to seek new and cost-effective materials. This led to the discovery of plastics and experiments on them in the 18th century to understand their role in reducing production costs without compromising on the quality of treatment. However, it was only in the 20th century that this material became popular in the medical device industry, and has been in use ever since. Today, high-performance plastic polymers are extensively used to make disposable medical devices, playing a key role in decreasing the risk of HAIs.
Central Role of Plastics in Transforming the Medical Device Industry
The healthcare industry is evolving at a rapid pace every year. Technologies that were popular a few years ago have now become obsolete. This goes for medical instruments as well, which is why manufacturers are constantly on the lookout for new materials and manufacturing techniques that can improve the performance of their products. However, one material that has remained resilient through these changes is plastic. Thanks to its high versatility, plastic has remained a major component in the production of a wide variety of medical devices. Here are some ways the material has revolutionized the operations of the healthcare industry:
High Sterility
One of the most important qualities that has popularized the use of plastics in medical device-making is their sterility. Medical plastics are widely used to make surgical gloves, IV tubes, and insulin pens. The increasing production of disposable medical devices has boosted the use of one of the most widely known medical plastics, antimicrobial plastics, as they can protect patients from cross-contaminations and Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs).
- Safety During Transportation
Another key factor that has made medical plastics a mainstay in the healthcare device manufacturing industry is their safety feature. These plastics are highly durable in nature, making them safer for transporting vaccines and medicines to patients living in remote areas or rough terrains. Moreover, many medical plastic manufacturers have introduced protective coatings to their products to safeguard the quality and integrity of the packed materials.
- Development of Novel Medical Devices
Years of research and development to understand the application scope of plastics have helped manufacturers in the healthcare industry come up with novel uses for plastics, such as making stents, pacemakers, and joint replacement devices.
So, while the evolution of the healthcare industry has been rapid, medical plastics have played a key role in modernizing its daily operations. These transformations caused by the use of medical-grade plastics have not only enhanced the quality of patient care but also made doctors’ lives a lot easier.
From Textiles to Additive Manufacturing - The Future of Medical Plastics
With so many applications of medical-grade plastics already in place, the question arises: What is the future of medical plastics? The significance of these plastics has increased considerably over the years, with medical researchers constantly bringing in new technologies and production techniques to develop cutting-edge medical devices. Today, these plastics are being used in other industries as well, such as additive manufacturing and textiles. The concept of connected textiles is gaining widespread popularity, wherein the fabric is connected to a medical device to give regular and direct updates about a patient’s health status, thereby helping medical professionals develop suitable treatment plans. Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is gaining immense traction in the healthcare industry, which is further expected to propel the adoption of medical plastics as they can be used to make various diagnostics equipment to conduct vital tests and detect chronic diseases early. Such a wide and ever-growing scope of applications for these plastics will offer a promising opportunity for this market to grow.