Saint Gobain Plastics’ Healthcare Unit Releases New Tubing for European Market

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics’ Healthcare Markets Business Unit, a supplier for medical applications, unveiled a new silicone tubing called Compass Technology to the European market during Compamed 2012, the annual trade fair held Nov. 14-16, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

“Given the increasing global demands on advanced medical devices, customers are seeking silicone tubing solutions with tighter tolerances and consistency of performance over time,” said Robert D. Schwenker, business manager, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, Healthcare Markets. “To directly address these industry concerns and deliver customized solutions, we are introducing our new Compass Technology extrusion process to our customers in Europe at Compamed.”

Compass Technology features a new extrusion process that enables Saint-Gobain to constantly access in-process dimensional data about its tubing solutions, ensuring product consistency for medical applications. Saint-Gobain will also leverage its custom material compounding capability with the new extrusion process to specially engineer materials that meet customers’ exact performance needs. Working collaboratively to understand an application’s specific needs, company officials say they can fine-tune silicone material properties, including tear strength, compression set, tensile / elongation, modulus, and durometer.

At the show, the company also will highlight its tubing solutions that are manufactured without DEHP.

More than 18 months ago, Saint Gobain’s healthcare unit introduced its Tygon ND product family, which provides non-DEHP plasticizer products. Regulators in Europe and the United States currently are evaluating the safety of DEHP in medical applications. Tygon can be used for devices that require contact with bodily fluids such as minimally invasive devices and drug delivery technologies.

SGPPL HealthCare Markets also manufactures Tygon S-22-216 and S-97-E, clear, non-DEHP polymer tubing for applications where fluid administration is of important, such dialysis equipment and catheters. Tygon S-97-E also can be used for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) pumps.

Saint Gobain Peformance Plastics’ healthcare division is located in Northboro, Mass.

Visiting Compamed and Medica? Saint-Gobain is located at Compamed in Hall 8b-Booth L-08.