GE Material Solutions That Can Aid Healthcare in Meeting the Challenge of Ageing Populations

BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS — November 15, 2006 — Decades of progressively improving healthcare have contributed in large measure to people living longer. But, while this success is a mark of societal advance and a benefit to humankind, it brings with it a new challenge, that of ageing populations and significant growth in the demand for healthcare services. The proportion of older people, 60 years and above, in many societies is growing faster than the segment made up of the young. This is a global phenomenon being experienced in both developed and developing countries, although its effects are more pronounced in industrialized countries many of which are also indicating declining birth rates.

In developed regions at the beginning of 2000, approximately 20 percent of populations were over the age of 60 years, by mid-century that proportion is projected to rise to more than 30 percent. This means that globally, those over the age of 60 in 2050 will number some two billion, triple the figure for 2000, which in itself was triple that of 50 years earlier. Already within the ageing population the fastest growing age group comprises those of 80 years plus and currently they make up more than 10 percent of its total. A clear illustration of the potential strain on healthcare services that lies ahead.

Typically, health deteriorates with advancing years and therefore greater numbers and a larger percentage of even older members of the ageing population will require a higher order and scale of care. This trend will have a profound influence on the way in which the healthcare industry develops its response to meet that challenge. A key aspect of that response is already indicated in a need for innovative medical devices that help resolve patients’ health issues safely, but more quickly and efficiently than ever before. Solutions such as portable and remote care devices that enable the increasing burden on centralized health services to be rebalanced and diffused, through an expansion of self-administered care at home or in assisted accommodation. As well as more advanced equipment and instruments to support newer techniques, such as minimally invasive surgery, that speed the execution of surgical procedures, reduce patient trauma, and accelerate recovery times.

Complex material requirements

These trends are already driving significant changes in medical device innovation, design, functionality, and aesthetics in respect of treatments and therapies for health problems most commonly experienced by the elderly. They include cancers, heart and respiratory disorders, diabetes and orthopedic conditions among others. Playing a central role in these developments, engineering thermoplastic materials have evolved to assist medical equipment manufacturers implement and translate new designs into commercially available devices. These materials as single products are often required to fulfill combinations of capabilities such as: biocompatibility, durability with reduced weight or wall thickness, chemical resistance, aesthetics, functional and ergonomic designs, precision component criteria, and sterilization. GE Plastics has developed new healthcare/biocompatible and enhanced standard resins specifically to address these diverse combinations of requirements necessary for manufacturers of healthcare devices. As a group, the elderly are especially vulnerable to illnesses in general and susceptible to certain types of medical conditions in particular. Among these, some of the most common include diabetes and cardiovascular problems.

Diabetes

It is estimated that globally one in twenty-five adults suffers from some form of diabetes and this figure is expected to double in the coming 20 years. The need to provide care for this growing number of patients is increasing the demand for decentralized treatment and therefore the portability of equipment and simplification in insulin delivery. Equipment that will make these treatments more manageable, more accurate and more easily self-administered includes handheld blood glucose monitors and insulin injection pens.

To aid these developments GE Plastics presents equipment designers with a broad portfolio of potential material solutions that may match their needs for light-weight and durability, and the capability of being molded to the tight tolerances essential for the small internal precision components of injection pens, for example. These materials, which provide tailorable physical and mechanical properties, include impact resistant and transparent Lexan HP polycarbonate resins with their ability to offer an extensive range of colors and effects, and the lubricity and strength often required for internal gears as found in LNP* Lubricomp* and LNP Thermocomp* compounds.

Cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are believed to account for approximately 30 percent of deaths worldwide and therefore the imperative of their early detection and treatment is stimulating new medical procedures, as well as technological advances in supporting devices. These include heart and blood pressure monitors for home and hospital use as well as automated external defibrillators (AED) which are becoming increasingly more available beyond hospitals to airports, airplanes, work environments, assisted living facilities, among other locations. A key development will be even smaller, lighter units providing greater portability and convenience, along with novel surface aesthetics that will enable rapid device identification, for devices such as AEDs, and bring greater consumer appeal to equipment designed for use in the home. Importantly, these devices will require robustness and durability to withstand the wear and tear of long-term usage as well as resistance to the cleaning fluids used in both hospital and home. GE Plastics offers a range of resins that enable component miniaturization and which deliver the necessary toughness, wear, and chemical resistance to help satisfy these application criteria. These include Lexan HP and HPX polycarbonates and Cycoloy* PC/ABS blends.

Miniaturization is also a feature of evolving surgical instruments particularly those designed for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and less invasive surgical procedures, such as tissue stabilizers for beating-heart surgery. These and other blood contact applications, like filters and pumps, and blood oxygenators used in open-heart surgery, demand materials that combine hemocompatibility with strength, ductility, clarity, and the ability to withstand repeat sterilization cycles. GE Plastics addresses these needs with high performance, precision moldable, biocompatible materials such as Lexan HPM resin for devices requiring clarity and durability. For component parts including triggers, levers, gears and shafts, GE offers Ultem* polyetherimide (PEI) resins and LNP Thermocomp and LNP Lubricomp speciality compounded materials to help meet compressive strength, stiffness, dimensional stability, and lubrication needs.

Drug delivery

Increasing advances in drug treatments and therapies are requiring ever more specialized delivery systems. Ranging from the self-administration of insulin to inoculations for large groups, for example against the flu, the trend is towards smaller systems based on ergonomic designs for easier use. These include pre-filled syringes for personal convenience and accurate dosage, as well as needleless injection devices that provide for medical staff safety and patient comfort. Able to offer the necessary dimensional stability, strength to resist needleless injection forces and the flowability needed to mold complex shapes, Lexan HP polycarbonate is frequently selected bu customers, while Valox* resins offer lubricity, durability and chemical resistance for valves found in drug delivery devices.

The demand for delivery systems that serve respiratory needs, such as oxygen therapy and the treatment of sleep apnea, is expected to keep pace with growth in the ageing population. However, longevity brings with it patient expectations of a longer active life in and away from home. For example, this is increasing the requirement for greater system portability with smaller and quieter motors to deliver constant positive airway pressure (CPAP) to those with obstructive sleep apnea. Moreover, the trend is for a stronger emphasis on system aesthetics with the color and styling of CPAP equipment as well as the design and comfort of respiratory masks becoming increasingly important to encourage patient compliance with their therapy.

To assist designers in meeting functional performance of respiratory masks, coupled with the need for high throughput manufacturing to meet rapid growth rates, GE Plastics’ Lexan HPX resins also offer biocompatibility¹ and enhanced chemical resistance. Lexan resins and films and Cycoloy resins offer colorability in combination with a package of properties that help CPAP machines meet aesthetic needs and the durability to respond positively to the most demanding in-home environments. In addition, GE’s Visualfx* resins can offer the designer an array of special effects to achieve novel and innovative visual appeal.

Keeping pace with future needs

While the healthcare industry is highly dynamic and continuously seeking to improve care delivery, the irreversible trend towards the growth in ageing populations is giving added impetus to that search. GE’s material expertise, combined with a comprehensive portfolio of resins specifically designed for healthcare devices, is enabling designers and manufactures to develop the innovative solutions they need to meet current and evolving performance and end user requirements. Moreover, GE Plastics has a dedicated healthcare industry team with in-depth knowledge of specific areas of care such as blood care, respiratory, surgical and fluid delivery, which is able to provide the new product development support the industry will need to keep pace with society’s growing demands and economic constraints.

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