6 Jul 2004
GE’S NEWEST RESINS FOR HEALTHCARE OFFER RESISTANCE TO LIPIDS, LOWER COLOR SHIFT AFTER GAMMA STERILIZATION
NEW LEXAN® RESINS ADDRESS INDUSTRY’S NEED FOR IMPROVED LIPID RESISTANCE, GAMMA COLOR STABILITY, AUTOCLAVE PERFORMANCE, AND MFI
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — June 29, 2004 — GE Advanced Materials continues to demonstrate its renewed focus on the healthcare industry by expanding the company’s family of high-performance healthcare polycarbonate (PC) products to meet the industry’s rapidly changing end-use requirements and to improve molding options. Three new LEXAN® resins are introduced today, including a gamma-stabilized grade that combines improved resistance to lipids with multiple-cycle autoclave sterilization capability; a gamma-stabilized grade that offers a mid-range melt-flow index (MFI); and a clear, high-heat PC for repeated autoclave use. All of the new products are available globally.
The first of the new GE materials is LEXAN HPS7 resin, a lipid-resistant polycarbonate also stabilized for exposure to gamma (and electron (e-) beam) irradiation that shows no statistically significant change in physical properties after gamma sterilization. Importantly, this material demonstrates two new capabilities:
1. Improved lipid resistance through retention of tensile elongation at typical three- to four-day exposure, with data indicating improvement even out to six days; and
2. Superior hydrolytic stability and excellent retention of impact strength after multiple autoclave cycles. By contrast, most competitive lipid-resistant PCs cannot typically withstand multiple cycles.
New LEXAN HPS7 resin offers healthcare OEMs lipid resistance with gamma radiation and multiple autoclave cycle capabilities in one product. It is ISO 10993 biocompatible* and FDA-compliant for food-contact applications. The new product uses a proprietary non-brominated formulation to achieve gamma stability and has an MFI of 5g/10 minutes at 300 C/1.2kg. Due to its excellent lipid, gamma, and autoclave performance, this new grade can be used in healthcare applications for the blood-care, surgical support equipment, and fluid-delivery segments. Potential uses include blood dialyzer components, stopcocks, luers, and Y-sites.
GE also introduced today LEXAN HPS4 resin, a gamma-stabilized material engineered for an MFI of 10, further expanding the flow options for GE’s gamma-resistant portfolio of materials. With the addition of this new product, the company now offers gamma-stabilized LEXAN resin grades with MFIs of 5, 7, 10, 17.5, and 25, giving processors greater manufacturing flexibility. Like all of GE’s gamma-stabilized PCs, this new material shows no significant change in physical properties after exposure. This product does not use bromine, an ingredient often restricted in order to meet growing eco-label requirements.
LEXAN HPS4 resin also demonstrates excellent hydrolytic stability, is ISO 10993 biocompatible* and is FDA food-contact compliant. It is designed to meet certain blood-care, surgical instrument, fluid delivery, and enclosure/housing application requirements specific to the healthcare industry. Potential applications include blood filters, blood bowls, fluid-connection devices, syringe components, housings requiring sterilization, and surgical instruments.
Rounding out GE Advanced Materials’ newest healthcare product offering is LEXAN 4404 resin, a clear, high-heat polycarbonate designed for use in devices exposed to multiple autoclave cycles, at temperatures up to 134 C. Similar to the other products introduced today, LEXAN 4404 resin is also ISO 10993 biocompatible* and is FDA food-contact compliant. It is an excellent candidate for applications that may be exposed to up to 10 autoclave cycles at 134 C and offers improved dimensional stability over most common PC resins. Accordingly, LEXAN 4404 resin is a potential fit for a variety of surgical instruments and healthcare support equipment, along with certain bio-pharmaceutical applications, where the use of autoclave sterilization is growing.
“With the launch of these products and with additional technologies in the pipeline, GE Advanced Materials’ focus on supporting the healthcare industry is clearly evident,” says Clare Frissora, market director, Health
Reader enquiries
GE PlasticsPlasticslaan 1
4600 AC Bergen op Zoom
Netherlands
Helen Vandebovenkamp
helen.vandebovenkamp@ge.com
Tel: +31 164 29 20 97
Fax: +31 164 29 10 66
Netherlands
Notes for editors
GE Advanced Materials
GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicon-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics. Among its businesses are:
• Plastics is a global plastics materials supplier and distributor, which serves customers in a variety of industries including aerospace, appliances, automotive, building and construction, data storage and optical media, medical, electrical and electronics devices, telecommunications, computers and peripheral devices, outdoor vehicles and devices, and packaging (https://www.geplastics.com).
• Silicones, which includes GE Toshiba Silicones in the Pacific region and GE Bayer Silicones in Europe, offers silanes, specialty silicones, urethane additives, adhesives, sealants, resins, and elastomers for a variety of industries such as personal care, automotive, tire and rubber, construction, healthcare, electronics, household and institutional, agriculture, textiles, appliances, bedding and furnishings, foam control, and consumer (https://www.gesilicones.com).
• Quartz provides high-purity quartz and advanced ceramic materials for the semiconductor, telecommunications, lighting, electronics, personal care, water purification, and various other industries (https://www.gequartz.com).
• GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified technology, media, and financial services company dedicated to creating products that make life better. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming, and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's website at https://www.ge.com.
LEXAN is a registered trademark of General Electric Company.
Editorial enquiries
Marianne Schouten
GE Advanced Materials
Brigitta de Vries
Marketing Solutions NV