Insulation Properties of Medical Plastics

Plastics are generally considered insulators, but can transmit some electrical energy at higher frequencies. The effectiveness of a material as an insulator is usually measured by dielectric constant and dissipation factor properties. Dielectric constant measures how well an insulator stores electrical energy so as to isolate electrical elements from each other and the ground. This […]

Medical Plastics That Reduce Hospital Infections

One out of every 25 patients in U.S. acute care hospitals contract a health care associated infection, according to a survey by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).  One in every four of these are associated with medical devices. In-dwelling devices, such as central venous (CV) catheters, are particularly susceptible to bacteria colonization which can […]

Material Price v. Component Cost

Thermoplastics are sold by unit weight (e.g., $/lb, €/kg). However, the material cost for a plastic component must consider component volume and density of the plastic.  For thermoplastics, density is reported as ‘specific gravity.’ Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of the thermoplastic to the density of water (i.e., SGP = DP/DW).  The density […]