Adapting over the years, to keep pace with the dynamic nature of the industry, plastic innovations have included disposable plastic syringes, new heart valves, blood bags, other medical devices and prosthetics. Thanks to plastic prosthetics, patients have benefited from healthcare solutions with enhanced features and functionality.
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As well as the obvious advantages, the material also offers a cost-effective alternative for healthcare products.
Sterility
Plastic is used extensively to create many medical devices and tools such as syringes, surgical gloves, insulin pens, catheters, IV tubes and inflatable splints. These products are made for one-time use, helping to combat the spread of dangerous diseases, as this eliminates the need to sterilise and re-use a device.
Plastic also provides special antimicrobial touch surfaces, with properties that repel bacteria and other microbes. This helps to reduce the spread of dangerous diseases. The latest antimicrobial plastic is highly effective in killing bacteria and eliminating pathogens.
Improved safety
Plastic is used to create a variety of medical safety devices, medical waste disposal bags, blister packs and tamper-proof caps on packaging. Shatter-proof, it makes a safe storage and transportation option.
It is used to preserve the integrity of other materials, providing a protective coating. For example, plastic is widely used to manufacture non-permeable biohazard bags, used for transporting materials such as medical waste.
Extra comfort
In the field of prosthetics, prior to the advent of plastics, the healthcare industry used metal medical devices. These have largely been replaced by plastic devices today, providing extra comfort and specialist solutions that enable patients to live a healthier life.
People who may be allergic to certain types of metal can benefit from hypo-allergenic, sterile plastic, allowing for better care and treatment.
New innovations
Plastic can be moulded to suit the requirements of many specific applications, so it's also being used to develop new medical devices. Modern pacemakers, joint replacement devices and stents are being manufactured from plastic, as it can adapt to the smallest and most intricate moulds.
Storage and shipment
The storage and shipment of temperature-sensitive items, such as blood and serums, is made safer, thanks to plastic. As a general rule, blood samples and serums must be shipped to their destination as soon as possible so they do not become contaminated.
Specimens are placed in uniquely labelled, sealed vials and are then placed in sealable plastic pouches or bags, containing absorbent material such as cotton wool, to help prevent leakage. The investigation form for each sample is placed in a separate plastic bag, which is taped securely to the inside of a Styrofoam shipping box.
Swabs of oral fluid are also sent to the laboratory in a clear plastic transport tube. Each individual tube has an area on the outside where the name and other details of the patient are written, along with the date of collection.
Cost-effective
Plastic can be mass-produced at a cost-effective rate, allowing it to be used for a wide range of applications that might otherwise be too expensive. While metal medical devices can suffer wear and tear, plastic is not only cheaper, it is also more durable and can be treated to withstand erosion, thus reducing the initial costs of the medical devices. This means they are cheaper to maintain in the long term and won't need replacing as often.
Plastics could be the way forward for hospitals and the medical industry. In an economic climate where keeping costs down is important, a material that is not only cheap but also versatile and durable could be the future of medical care.
For the ultimate plastic storage solutions, Solent Plastics caters to the UK and worldwide markets. We specialise in plastic storage boxes, containers and other plastic products for bulk and individual orders.