If it weren't for plastic, there wouldn't be so many life-saving medical innovations.
In the past thirty years or so, plastics have become the key to modern medicine. Plastic has sufficient flexibility, can be installed in the smallest place, and is durable and can withstand decades of wear and tear. Medical practice has entered a rapidly developing era, and plastics are the core of medical innovation. What are the applications of plastics in the medical industry? Let's take a look together!
01. Artificial Limbs
Plastic is now the main choice for prosthetics. They can help adjust, support, and correct, but they are not limited to that. Self repairing, ultra realistic plastic prosthetics are about to arrive. Their characteristics are closely related to the flexibility and sensitivity of the human skin, and plastic muscles can even be used to obtain the mobility of prostheses.
2. Absorbable implants
Disappearing, soluble plastic implants are not science fiction. Today, doctors are using stents made of corn plastic to improve blood flow in blocked arteries. Traditional stents are made of metal and are known to cause additional heart problems. On the other hand, plastic brackets are safely absorbed by the body after their work is completed.
3. Hip Joint replacement
Hip Joint replacement surgery is one of the most commonly used operations in Europe and North America, but metal products are more prone to premature failure and face other challenges than plastic substitutes. Substitutes made of carbon fiber reinforced Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) plastics have shown higher strength, better wear resistance and better biocompatibility than their metal counterparts, reflecting the natural way of force transmission to better replicate the natural human hip.
4. Packaging
Plastic packaging helps to protect our safety. The innovation of plastic medicine bottles has made drug management easier, and devices such as prescription bottle timers and plastic clip magnifiers are helping those in need. But plastic packaging is not limited to pills and syrup. Today, donated blood is collected in PVC bags instead of glass bottles. Plastic helps to protect the valuable components of each bag, extend its shelf life, and reduce the risk of bacterial contamination.
5. Artificial cornea
Eye injuries or chronic inflammation can damage a patient's vision, but not all of these can be treated through transplantation. Artificial corneas can be used, made of special silicone with a thickness of 0.3 to 0.5 millimeters, highly transparent, flexible, and made using biomechanics similar to natural corneas.
6. Hearing aid
Plastic implants can help bring sound back to the ears of severely hearing impaired individuals. A small plastic device composed of many different components can bypass damaged cells and directly stimulate the auditory nerve, allowing them to hear again.
7. Pill capsules
Plastic enables timed release capsules to accurately disperse the correct drug dosage at the appropriate time. The Tartaric acid based polymer gradually decomposes to release the contents of the pill, which helps eliminate the risk of patient discomfort or even accidental overdose.