As Medical Design & Manufacturing West (MD&M West) fast approaches, we’re looking forward to educating attendees on what to be aware of when specifying rubber products for the medical field.
We encourage medical designers to beware when specifying “medical grade” rubber products. The key is to understand the intended use of the product before specifying it as “medical grade.”
Why is this important? Using the term “medical grade” when specifying rubber products can lead to over paying for products when it really isn’t necessary. In determining the appropriate material for any particular application, you should discuss the application parameters with your supplier. Below are some sample questions to help get started:
- Is the product going to be used in an “invasive” sense, meaning will the rubber product come in direct contact with the inner body cavity or with fluids entering the inner body cavity directly?
- Will the product be implanted for more or less than 28 days?
- Will the product have contact with food or fluids entering the bloodstream or digestive tract?
- Will the product be in contact with fluids exiting the body only?
- Will the product be in contact with skin?
Depending on the answers to these questions, you’ll be able to determine whether or not your application actually requires medical grade rubber products.
Want to find out whether your medical device requires medical grade materials? Vanguard Products will be on hand to answer questions and guide you toward the best options at Booth 3295 at MD&M West from February 9 to 11, 2016 in Anaheim, CA. The event will include numerous other educational opportunities throughout the week, and we look forward to learning about the latest industrial trends while also sharing our knowledge about material selection.
