The new polymeric materials advance medicine

They increase the duration and quality of life. Advances in medicine and the improvement of health care require biomedical materials with ever-higher performance. The technology must adapt to the requests for greater access to treatment and create prevention and diagnostic devices that are simple to use.

For decades, the high-quality materials provided by Covestro have demonstrated their exceptional and cutting-edge performance. Devices made with the highest quality polyurethane and high tech polyurethane products are intended for hospitals or outpatient care. Alongside these, a range of latest generation products for the administration of personalized treatments.

The use of materials such as polycarbonate and polyurethane allows significant advantages including reliability and safety for patients. And companies are guaranteed fair cost-effectiveness for long-term medical care sustainability.

The high functionality of the materials, their performance and the ability to respond promptly to supply requests make Covestro the ideal partner for biomedical industries and companies in the sector.

With continuous research on polymeric materials for biomedical Covestro wants to meet the needs of the sector in terms of:

Reliability

Medical supplies that work reliably and resist movement, stress or tension. Mechanical capabilities of robustness and flexibility that guarantee long life cycles.

Versatility

Instrumentation and medical solutions that can be used in hospital facilities, such as home care or self-medication.

Cheapness

Materials and production processes that guarantee an advantageous cost-effectiveness ratio for companies in the biomedical districts and health service providers.

Plastic materials for biomedical

Printed in polycarbonate, polyurethane-based foams, high-quality films, and special films, these are some of the materials that stimulate and safeguard medical progress. Covestro products are placed throughout the healthcare sector: in the laboratory, diagnostics, wound care, surgery areas, as well as in nursing, rehabilitation, and home treatment.

Polyurethane-based fabrics for healthcare facilities

Covestro's high-performance polyurethanes meet the needs of medical operators looking for ease of maintenance, durability, economic convenience and, increasingly, sustainable raw materials. Sheets, surgical pads, bandages, scrubs and other hospital clothing benefit from the exceptional qualities of polyurethane.

Polyurethane-based fabrics are sustainable for the use and source of raw materials and competitive in terms of costs.

Polycarbonate for high-stress biomedical devices

Some medical applications must resist extreme conditions, such as heat, aggressive chemicals, and radiation. With the light and robust Covestro brand polycarbonates, a resistant raw material is offered for defibrillators, injection equipment, surgical instruments, and many other critical applications. Polycarbonate surfaces resist strong physical shocks, they can be sterilized with heat or radiation. Its physical characteristics serve to protect the inside of medical devices from dirt and liquids.

Polycarbonate devices that know how to be beautiful and functional

Design and discretion are essential qualities when the patient needs to bring appliances and care tools with him. Here the polycarbonate, with its ductility in the modeling phase, is suitable for making medical devices with extremely thin thicknesses. These include mobile self-treatment equipment such as insulin pens, injection pens, and so on.

The polycarbonate produced by Covestro has good biocompatibility and can be used for medical supplies that are in direct contact with the patient, for example, infusion systems, catheters, inhalers, syringes and high-pressure pens for needle-free injections.

Surgical gloves indispensable in all medical sectors

Surgical gloves are an element of great importance. The sensitivity to latex has made the use of polyurethane gloves increasingly widespread. It is a material that brings together all the essential properties in every sanitary field: it is breathable, airtight, resistant to microbes, flexible and hypoallergenic. The gloves made with Covestro polyurethane are easily wearable and guarantee sensitivity and dexterity.

Perfect support for the skin: polyurethane-based dressings

Covestro offers raw materials specially designed and controlled to be used in direct contact with the skin. In the field of wound care, the demand for advanced dressing is growing, which interacts with the site of the lesion and stimulates specific responses.

The applications concern:

• adhesives for the skin
• highly absorbent foams
• water-based coatings for support films which are extensible and which withstand movements
• seamless film for liquid-resistant applications.

Our materials are latex or solvent-free and hypoallergenic.

Special blown films for dressings: high performance and reduced costs

The customized films adapt to the specific needs of the different treatments. The water vapor transmission speed, the total fluid management capacity and the resistance to friction are assessed and controlled. For ease of use, attention is paid to the appearance, to the surface that must be soft and even to the possibility of having different colours.

All materials are tested and suitable for contact with skin and wounds.

Healthcare wearable with high tech polymeric materials

Medical innovations aim to reduce the amount of time that needs to be spent inside the hospital. Wearable medical devices can monitor patient health and administer medical principles continuously.

This promotes disease prevention and the simplicity of care for patients. A considerable increase in terms of effectiveness and costs.

Prevention and diagnostics use devices for detecting the biological parameters that must be worn in direct contact with the skin. The devices collect and transmit data via Wi-Fi.

The treatment uses medicated patches that release the active ingredients in a personalized and seamless way. The patient no longer needs to remember administrations later in the day. Transdermal transmission is more effective and with fewer side effects.

Covestro's research, with its high-tech materials, makes the advantages of polycarbonate/polyester resins available to biomedical companies. Wearable medical technologies made with these materials are distinguished by durability and chemical resistance, as well as meeting stringent biocompatibility requirements.

Wearable plasters: healthcare becomes smart

Medical research is focusing on wearable patches. They make patients' lives easier and at the same time, they are very convenient for the health system in terms of the use of human resources and costs.

In England, a pilot National Health Service program found that smart devices reduced hospitalization rates and emergency visits. Also, the need for expensive home visits has decreased by 22%.

These devices are a jewel of technology: equipped with small electronic components that act as sensors, they can monitor a person's health in real-time and provide drugs at regular intervals.

For ideal wearability, Covestro's high-performance polyurethane films and adhesives offer:

• perfect and lasting adhesion
• abrasion resistance
• flexibility in movements.

Covestro teams are prepared and able to understand the needs of electronic integration by biomedical companies. Much progress has been made thanks to the know-how of our collaborators to achieve great results.