TPU films have a variety of important applications in the medical field. Here are some key uses:
Medical Dressings and Wound Care
- Breathable but not Bacterion-permeable: The micro - porous structure of TPU membranes allows for oxygen and moisture exchange while blocking bacteria and promoting wound healing.
- Low Allergenicity: Medical - grade TPU film has passed the ISO 10993 biocompatibility test, making it suitable for sensitive skin.
- Transparent and Visible: It allows medical staff to observe the wound condition, reducing the frequency of dressing changes.
- Typical Products: Transparent surgical wound patches, burn repair dressings, diabetic foot ulcer care films.
Medical Catheters and Interventional Instruments
- Flexible and Anti-kinking: TPU film - made catheters resist deformation when bent inside the body, ensuring the smooth flow of liquid medicine or gas.
- Chemical and Biological Resistant Liquids: They are anticoagulant and resistant to disinfection methods like ethylene oxide and gamma - ray sterilization.
- Enhanced X-ray Imaging: Can be combined with contrast agents such as barium sulfate for intraoperative positioning.
- Application Cases: Central venous catheters (CVC), urinary catheters, ventilator tubing, balloon catheters for minimally invasive surgery.
Drug Sustained-release System
- Controllable Permeability: By adjusting the thickness and porosity of the TPU film, precise sustained drug release can be achieved.
- Long-term Stability: Avoids the sudden release effect of traditional carrier materials.
- Innovation Directions: Transdermal drug delivery patches (such as nicotine smoking cessation patches), implantable chemotherapy drug carriers.
Biodegradable Implants
- Bioabsorbable TPU Film: After completing its support/repair function (usually 6 - 24 months), it gradually degrades, eliminating the need for secondary surgical removal.
- Mechanical Properties Match Human Tissues: More elastic than PLA/PGA materials, suitable for dynamic environments (such as cardiovascular patches).
- Cutting-edge Applications: Cardiac occluder membrane layer, orthopedic soft tissue repair membrane, absorbable suture coating.
Upgrade of Protective Equipment
- High Sealing Performance: TPU waterproof membrane at the seams of protective clothing blocks virus/liquid penetration (complying with EN 14126 standard).
- Comfortable and Breathable: Compared to traditional PVC, TPU film - made medical gloves fit better and reduce sweat accumulation.
- Epidemic-related Products: Adhesive films for key parts of medical protective suits, upgraded sterile packaging bags.
Digital Medical Integration
- Intelligent Sensing TPU Film: Conductive TPU film with flexible sensors can monitor body temperature and pressure in real time.
- 3D Printing Compatibility: Acts as a bio - ink carrier for printing personalized tissue engineering scaffolds.
- Future Trends: Smart band - aids (with pH value/infection alerts), bionic artificial skin.
Other Applications
- Medical Equipment Cable Sheath: Excellent chemical corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and anti - microbial properties, and can withstand various sterilization methods.
- Implantable Medical Devices: Such as artificial heart pump components and nerve stimulator packaging, ensuring long-term stable equipment operation.
- Orthodontic Invisible Braces: Replacing traditional PETG materials, they are less prone to breaking when put on and taken off and have a good stress retention rate.
- Artificial Blood Vessels: High melting strength and good biocompatibility make them ideal for artificial blood vessels.
- Chip Coating: Used to address the biocompatibility issue of chips, applied in implantable blood glucose meters and artificial retinas.