Feb 10 2011
Eastman Chemical Company today announced that LiNA Medical is one of the first medical device manufacturers to utilize the durability and high-flow processing advantages of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester in the medical device market with the introduction of the MaxFlow and FleXeal 5™ devices.
Both products will be featured in Eastman Booth 2326 at the Medical Design & Manufacturing West trade show Feb. 8 to 10 in Anaheim, Calif.
MaxFlow Suction and Irrigation system
The MaxFlow Suction and Irrigation system single-use device for minimally invasive gynecological procedures features an ergonomic handle and color-coded push buttons with marked suction and irrigation labels. The FleXeal 5 is a 5 millimeter trocar system designed to complement laparoscopic surgical procedures.
LiNA Medical selected Eastman Tritan™ copolyester for both devices due to its high-flow processing capabilities, making it well-suited for applications with thin walls and multiple cavities. The company had previously manufactured the MaxFlow with a different copolyester material, but by utilizing Tritan in existing molds, it decreased injection and processing time of the device housing by approximately 60 percent. Additionally, the toughness, heat and chemical resistance of Tritan allow the MaxFlow and FleXeal 5 to meet accelerated-aging protocols and withstand ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization.
“Material specification for medical device development has many requirements, as products must meet regulatory demands and pass biocompatibility testing, sterilization and accelerated-aging protocols,” said Henrik Bisgaard Poulsen, business unit manager, minimally invasive gynecology, LiNA Medical. “Switching to produce the MaxFlow with Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MX731 allowed LiNA Medical to create a device that has clarity without black specks and heat and chemical resistance for sterilization.”
Based on LiNA Medical’s previous experience working with Eastman and Eastman Tritan™ copolyester, Tritan MX731 was its first choice for the development of the FleXeal 5.
“Developing some of the first medical devices made of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester has helped LiNA Medical be an industry leader in proactively meeting marketplace demands,” Poulsen said. “As we continue to look for ways to improve our products, we anticipate working with Eastman and Tritan in the future.”
The MaxFlow and FleXeal 5 are available in the European market.
Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MX731 for molded medical devices balances the properties of clarity, toughness, and heat and chemical resistance, and is BPA-free. Eastman has been committed to the long-term needs of the medical industry for more than 65 years and is a reliable supplier of medical-grade polymers for medical-device applications and functional rigid medical packaging.