Looking for both a highly durable material to withstand heavy use and a reliable material to transport patient-critical items, Pevco turned to Eastman Chemical Company’s Tritan™ copolyester for its Pevco TEC-6™, a pneumatic tube carrier. Tritan provides the durability, lasting clarity and chemical resistance needed with such a device.
Pevco TEC-6 Pneumatic Tube Carrier
“A busy hospital sends more than 5,000 items per day through its pneumatic tube system (PTS),” said Steve Dahl, director of product development and marketing, Pevco. “Carriers see a lot of use, so they need to be not only durable but also lightweight and easy to use. The Pevco TEC-6 is a significant improvement over carriers currently on the market, as it’s more durable and ergonomic and easier to track.”
Hospitals use a PTS instead of people to deliver small materials — such as pharmaceuticals, lab specimens and blood products — 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.
The use of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester for Pevco TEC-6 has helped differentiate the tube carrier from competing products and highlighted the carrier’s innovative durability and ergonomic features. The crystal-clear clarity of Tritan allows hospital staff to see the inside of the carriers before they open them, providing improved safety. The material offers the durability needed for the constant handling and transporting of drugs and specimens. Additionally, Tritan gives the device body a slightly pliable, easily gripped surface that enhances its ergonomics, making it easier to use for hospital staff, no matter the amount of training received.
“Pevco understands the extreme importance of using a durable, clear and chemical-resistant material for its pneumatic tube carrier to maintain the integrity of patient-critical materials during transport and intense handling from hospital workers,” said Gopal Saraiya, global segment leader, medical devices, Eastman. “Eastman Tritan™ copolyester is an ideal material that provides the solutions to those needs.”
“We chose to work with Eastman for the Pevco TEC-6 because of our engineering team’s previous design and manufacturing experience with Eastman Tritan™ copolyester, as well as the team’s experience working with Eastman’s technical experts on previous projects,” Dahl said. “Eastman’s customer-focused sales engineering approach offered us substantial face-to-face technical consultation and support in a timely manner. This partnership provided us with a high level of confidence that the final product would meet all requirements.”
When selecting Eastman Tritan™ copolyester to be used for Pevco TEC-6 — which was specifically designed to be made with the material — Pevco searched for and selected a custom molder that had previously used Tritan. Pevco introduced the TEC-6, which stands for trackable ergonomic carrier with a 6-inch diameter, in May 2012. The device is available in black/clear, red/clear, blue/clear and green/clear. Hospitals use colors to distinguish a carrier’s contents and to identify its home department.
Pevco TEC-6 is sold by Pevco and its authorized dealers. The markets for the TEC-6 include North America, South America, Asia and the Middle East.