Biesterfeld and DuPont are combining their innovative capabilities to offer forward-looking new solutions for medical wearables. These portable devices, which are worn on the body and provide essential medical data such as blood sugar level or blood pressure, make day-to-day life easier for users and are one of the most important trends in the medical segment.
The companies’ joint portfolio in the EMEA region includes, for example, the polyacetal resin Delrin SC698. This grade can be used for components in spring-loaded applicators that attach the wearable device to the user and also for functional parts in wearable pump systems, for high precision dosing and administration of medication. The highly crystalline homopolymer has an exceptionally low friction coefficient (COF), which makes a device more comfortable for the patient and helps avoid the need for an external lubricant. As the successor to Delrin SC699, it has improved surface and delamination properties and is also easier to dye. In addition, the product offers high tensile strength, impact strength and creep resistance, as well as high dimensional stability, resulting in low wear even with long-term use. In the Special Control (SC) group, Delrin SC698 undergoes extensive testing during production to meet the stringent requirements and regulatory specifications for medical applications.
In the EMEA region Biesterfeld also distributes the DuPont skin adhesives, used to securely attach wearables to the patient‘s skin. The pressure-sensitive adhesives of the new and innovative Liveo brand include solvent-based Liveo MG-2401, Liveo MG-2402 and Liveo MG-2502 as well as Liveo MG-2410 being the hotmelt option. All products ensure strong and reliable skin-adhesion while maintaining good comfort, without skin irritation or sensitisation. Moreover, the outstanding moisture and vapor permeability impede skin-maceration, enabling extended wearing-schemes of over 14 days. All these products are unlikely to peel off thereby providing reliable skin-adhesion and thus patient-safety over the whole wearable life-span.
“The medical segment demands a particularly high level of technical expertise to fully satisfy the relevant regulatory specifications,” says Martin Rathke, Product Manager, Biesterfeld Plastic. “We are proud to work with our partner DuPont, which not only aims for the highest quality standards but also continuously brings new products to market to make patients’ lives that little bit easier all the time,” adds Dr. Anna Geffken, Product Manager Medical Device, Biesterfeld Spezialchemie.
“Medical wearables together with the overall medical sector are driven by demanding patient needs and very stringent regulations. DuPont‘s portfolio of engineering plastics and thermoplastic elastomers offers compliant, innovative and unique solutions and is complemented by our joint expertise in material selection, tool design and moulding optimization. We are very glad to partner with Biesterfeld Plastic in our commitment to bring performance, safety and comfort into medical wearables,” says PhD Sonia Japon, EMEA ICE Application Development Leader, Performance Materials, DuPont.
“As long-term partner, Biesterfeld Spezialchemie has been successfully supporting the development of our silicone healthcare technology products and business in EMEA for over two decades; their expertise and knowledge of the healthcare market are instrumental in helping DuPont Healthcare address the new challenges of the connected health era. We are delighted to offer our range of solutions that enable customers to innovate and market new wearable healthcare products,” adds PhD Pennadam Sivanand, EMEA Healthcare Technology Leader, Performance Solutions, DuPont.
