• Login
    • Join
  • FOLLOW:
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Opinions
    • Top 30
    • Research
    • Supply Chain
    • Device Sectors
    • Directory
    • Events
    • Resources
    • Microsites
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Opinions
  • Top 30
  • Research
  • Supply Chain
  • Device Sectors
  • Directory
  • Events
  • Resources
  • Microsites
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Editorial
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Editorial Guidelines
    Reprints
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    Top Features
    OEMs Seek Molders Offering Timely Techniques

    Robotic Surgery: Cutting Through to the Latest

    Packaging, Sterilization Considerations Go Part and Parcel with Product Development

    Cybersecurity Challenges Leave Medical Device Makers Insecure

    OEMs Are Demanding Designs that Challenge Suppliers
    OEM News
    Supplier News
    Service / Press Releases
    Online Exclusives
    Press Releases
    People in the News
    Product & Service Releases
    Supplier News
    Medtech Makers
    Technical Features
    International News
    Videos
    Product & Service Releases
    Live From Shows
    Regulatory
    Financial/Business
    Top News
    Cepheid, BioGX Partner to Create GeneXpert Monkeypox Test

    Siemens' Varian Gains FDA IDE Nod for FAST-02 Trial

    Acutus Medical Launches AcQCross Line Extension

    Accelmed Partners II, Lauxera Capital Partners Invest in Veranex

    Agnes Lee Named SVP of Investor Relations, Strategic Planning at Inogen
    From the Editor
    Blogs
    Guest Opinions
    Top Opinions
    OEMs Seek Molders Offering Timely Techniques

    Robotic Surgery: Cutting Through to the Latest

    Packaging, Sterilization Considerations Go Part and Parcel with Product Development

    Cybersecurity Challenges Leave Medical Device Makers Insecure

    OEMs Are Demanding Designs that Challenge Suppliers
    Top 30 Medical Device Companies
    Market Data
    White Papers
    Top Research
    Theranos Fraud Trial, Part II: The Blame Game Continues

    An Update on Surgical Robotics

    Letting the Light In: How Failure Analysis is the Cornerstone of Success

    Three Talent Strategies to Attract High-Demand Skills

    The Advantages of Bioburden Screening for Sterilization Validation
    3D/Additive Manufacturing
    Contract Manufacturing
    Electronics
    Machining & Laser Processing
    Materials
    Molding
    Packaging & Sterilization
    R&D & Design
    Software & IT
    Testing
    Tubing & Extrusion
    Cardiovascular
    Diagnostics
    Digital Health
    Neurological
    Patient Monitoring
    Surgical
    Orthopedics
    All Companies
    Categories
    Company Capabilities
    Add New Company
    Outsourcing Directory
    Cirtec Medical

    Trademark Plastics Inc.

    Concise Engineering

    Arthur G. Russell Co. Inc., The

    JBC Technologies
    MPO Summit
    Industry Events
    Webinars
    Live From Show Event
    Industry Associations
    Videos
    Career Central
    eBook
    Slideshows
    Top Resources
    Investment in Health Startups Drops

    The Power of Leveraging Customer Relationships

    Cost Effective & Efficient Wire EDM Techniques

    How MedTech Professionals Can Help Combat Physician Burnout

    How to Optimize Manufacturing Lines and Choose Which Machines to Buy
    Companies
    News Releases
    Product Releases
    Press Releases
    Product Spec Sheets
    Service Releases
    Case Studies
    White Papers
    Brochures
    Videos
    Outsourcing Directory
    Cirtec Medical

    Trademark Plastics Inc.

    Concise Engineering

    Arthur G. Russell Co. Inc., The

    JBC Technologies
    • Magazine
      • Current/Back Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Editions
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • News
    • Directory
      • All Companies
      • ALL CATEGORIES
      • Industry Associations
      • Company Capabilities
      • Add Your Company
    • Supply Chain
      • 3D/Additive Manufacturing
      • Contract Manufacturing
      • Electronics
      • Machining & Laser Processing
      • Materials
      • Molding
      • Packaging & Sterilization
      • R&D & Design
      • Software & IT
      • Testing
      • Tubing & Extrusion
    • Device Sectors
      • Cardiovascular
      • Diagnostics
      • Digital Health
      • Neurological
      • Patient Monitoring
      • Surgical
      • Orthopedics
    • Top 30 Company Report
    • Expert Insights
    • Slideshows
    • Videos
    • eBook
    • Resources
    • Podcasts
    • Infographics
    • Whitepapers
    • Research
      • White Papers
      • Case Studies
      • Product Spec Sheets
      • Market Data
    • MPO Summit
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live From Show Events
      • Webinars
    • Microsite
      • Companies
      • Product Releases
      • Product Spec Sheets
      • Services
      • White Papers / Tech Papers
      • Press Releases
      • Videos
      • Literature / Brochures
      • Case Studies
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise with Us
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Columns

    Case in Point: Robust Sintered PTFE Material Helps to Reduce Risk of HAIs

    ...

    Case in Point: Robust Sintered PTFE Material Helps to Reduce Risk of HAIs
    A sample POREX Virtek sintered PTFE filter, shown here, like the one used within the Guangdong Xianfeng Medical Technology Co. medical container. A key benefit of the Porex filter and vent solution is that it can withstand thousands of autoclave sterilization cycles. Image courtesy of Porex.
    Related CONTENT
    • Innovia Medical Acquires MD Resource Corp.
    • Messe Düsseldorf to Organize Medical Fair Brasil
    • AliveCor Welcomes New CEO
    • VitalConnect Announces New CEO
    • Overcoming Barriers of Adopting ISO 80369
    Jack Chan, Global Marketing Director—Medical, Porex07.30.19
    In China, concerns are mounting over the life-threatening issue of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and how to prevent future incidents from occurring. Recently, researchers investigated increased hospitalization costs due to HAIs,1 which not only threaten the health and lives of patients, but also create additional economic burden. The resulting treatment costs and prolonged hospitalization not only impact the patient, but also affect the healthcare system, utilizing more resources and putting other patients and medical professionals at risk.

    Examining 68 hospitals in seven of China’s major regions, the researchers’ study identified over 2,100 case patients affected by HAIs and found, on average, that these infections caused an increase in hospital length of stay by 10.4 days. With the prevalence of these types of cases in mind, new legislation and regulations continue to emerge in China, pushing for better patient outcomes and greater healthcare worker safety. As such, it is imperative that high-quality innovations for decontamination and sterilization are available for manufacturers—and, ultimately, end users—in the medical device industry. Lifesaving and health betterment procedures often leave patients vulnerable to HAIs, especially when the instruments used in these procedures are not properly sanitized.

    HAIs, while ranging in severity, can lead to debilitating illnesses—and, in some cases, death. The use of catheters, injections, or the improper use of antibiotics are all factors that increase the risk of HAIs. While they can occur in any healthcare facility including hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, end-stage renal disease facilities, and even long-term facilities, the infections are usually the result of bacteria, fungi, viruses, or other, less-common pathogens entering the bloodstream. Some common HAIs that patients contract are central-line associated bloodstream infections, Clostridium difficile infections, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections, and urinary tract infections, among others. In some cases, surgical instruments that are poorly sanitized, maintained, or stored can lead to a surgical-site infection. About one in 31 hospital patients acquires an HAI on any given day as a result of poor cleaning or disinfecting practices around a surgical procedure alone.2

    To address this concern, medical device manufacturer Guangdong Xianfeng Medical Technology Co. Ltd. approached Porex, a global provider of porous polymer solutions, for help in improving the sterilization process for surgical equipment used in healthcare environments. Specifically, Xianfeng was looking to incorporate a more robust, reusable filter that would enable necessary venting within its medical container and also serve as a strong barrier to bacteria attempting to contaminate the sterile environment.

    Xianfeng is constantly seeking to enhance its products in order to meet the changing needs and demands of the Chinese market. The manufacture of sterile containers, which are used in many diverse medical environments to sterilize surgical instruments and maintain sterility until use in surgery, is a growing market for China.

    Typically, medical containers are equipped with single-use paper and textile filters during the steam sterilization process, which help to vent the device. If performing as they should, these filters should allow proper venting that creates the correct levels of pressure in the sterile container and also block the entrance of new bacteria. The issue with these materials is they can only be used once, requiring replacement after a single use. If the filters aren’t changed regularly, healthcare workers risk tainting the instruments undergoing sterilization. Thus, the Chinese manufacturer turned to Porex for help in developing a new type of filter, aiming to solve a technical design challenge and enhance the sterilization process.

    Porex worked with Xianfeng for more than half a year to select a customized porous polymer solution for the medical container. Ultimately, the filter would serve a dual purpose: to function as a vent to allow pressure equalization during the sterilization process and as a barrier to bacteria during subsequent storage.

    Porex provided Xianfeng samples of its proprietary Virtek sintered PTFE material to test in its sterile containers due to its ability to withstand thousands of repeated sterilization cycles. The success of the project depended upon optimizing the correct pore structure and surface characteristics, ensuring the final product was more durable and reliable than paper or textiles and could be permanently imprinted with a batch identification and date code to monitor usage.

    Sintered PTFE is a material with high temperature and chemical resistance. Virtek’s manufacturing process results in a material with an intricate network of open-celled, omni-directional pores, which together deliver a different level of performance. The end product is a durable, design-flexible 3D material that doesn’t require a supporting layer or scrim. The unique composition of Virtek provides reliability during the manufacturing process and beyond, offering long-term value for the manufacturer and end user.

    When used as a sterilization container filter, the Virtek venting solution challenges the industry standard material and allows for greater infection control. The PTFE filter offers superior hydrophobicity and chemical resistance, as well as high-temperature stability. It also provides high bacterial filtration efficiency of 99.99 percent or higher, superior water-entry pressure, optimal airflow, and a fluid barrier. The Virtek filter helps to promote active infection prevention, making it a suitable choice for Xianfeng’s medical storage containers.

    Xianfeng also recognized the Virtek technology introduced a new concept to the market that became known as a permanent “fit-and-forget” filter due to its ability to withstand up to thousands of autoclave sterilization cycles. Its high reusability rate also minimizes downtime and improves production efficiencies by reducing the frequency with which healthcare workers have to replace the filter. In addition, the flexibility of Porex’s manufacturing process offered Xianfeng a cost-efficient alternative to traditional materials along with substantial performance advantages.

    Equipped with Virtek PTFE as a filter, the Xianfeng containers are able to be employed to properly sterilize surgical instruments and maintain sterility until use in surgery, ultimately reducing the risk of infections in hospitals, dental offices, outpatient centers, and other medical practices. With the sintered PTFE technology improving the sanitization process, Xianfeng believes the market for medical sterilization containers will grow in China in the near future, allowing the industry to move away from single-use disposable filters and take steps toward supporting greater patient care. 

    References
    1. http://bit.ly/mpo190740
    2. http://bit.ly/mpo190741


    Jack Chan is the global marketing director for Porex’s medical market (www.porex.com) with more than 20 years serving the medical device industry. He is responsible for driving Porex’s medical marketing strategy through his extensive experience in working with medical grade polymers used in medical devices. Chan received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry of polymers from the University of Texas—Austin, a Master’s of Science in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and double Bachelor of Science degrees in polymer science and chemistry from the University of Southern Mississippi.
    Related Searches
    • medical device
    • legislation
    • chemical resistance
    • viruses
    Related Knowledge Center
    • Materials
    • Packaging & Sterilization
    • R&D & Design
    Suggested For You
    Innovia Medical Acquires MD Resource Corp. Innovia Medical Acquires MD Resource Corp.
    Messe Düsseldorf to Organize Medical Fair Brasil Messe Düsseldorf to Organize Medical Fair Brasil
    AliveCor Welcomes New CEO AliveCor Welcomes New CEO
    VitalConnect Announces New CEO VitalConnect Announces New CEO
    Overcoming Barriers of Adopting ISO 80369 Overcoming Barriers of Adopting ISO 80369
    HD Medical Inc. Expands Management Team HD Medical Inc. Expands Management Team
    6 Trends Reshaping Medical Equipment Manufacturing 6 Trends Reshaping Medical Equipment Manufacturing
    ExThera Medical Creates Scientific Advisory Board ExThera Medical Creates Scientific Advisory Board
    24 Charged in $1.2B Medicare Telemedicine Fraud Scheme 24 Charged in $1.2B Medicare Telemedicine Fraud Scheme
    VivaLNK Launches IoT-Enabled Medical Wearable Sensor Platform for Continuous Patient Monitoring VivaLNK Launches IoT-Enabled Medical Wearable Sensor Platform for Continuous Patient Monitoring
    Abiomed Receives CE Mark for Impella Connect Abiomed Receives CE Mark for Impella Connect
    Sum and Substance: Material Considerations for Changing Design Needs Sum and Substance: Material Considerations for Changing Design Needs
    Sintered or Expanded—Which PTFE Is Best Suited for Your Device? Sintered or Expanded—Which PTFE Is Best Suited for Your Device?

    Related Breaking News

    • Innovia Medical Acquires MD Resource Corp.

      Innovia Medical Acquires MD Resource Corp.

      The deal helps strengthen Innovia’s portfolio of cosmetic surgery solutions.
      Business Wire 07.30.19

    • Messe Düsseldorf to Organize Medical Fair Brasil

      Messe Düsseldorf to Organize Medical Fair Brasil

      Cooperates with manufacturers association Abimo.
      Messe Düsseldorf North America 07.29.19

    • Cardiovascular | Patient Monitoring
      AliveCor Welcomes New CEO

      AliveCor Welcomes New CEO

      Priya Abani was previously the General Manager for Devices and Enablement at Amazon.
      PR Newswire 07.25.19


    • Patient Monitoring
      VitalConnect Announces New CEO

      VitalConnect Announces New CEO

      Peter Van Haur most recently served as the U.S. commercial vice president at Cordis.
      PR Newswire 07.16.19

    • Overcoming Barriers of Adopting ISO 80369

      ...

    Loading, Please Wait..

    Trending
    • 5 Ways Plastics Revolutionized The Healthcare Industry
    • FDA OKs J&J Vision's AcuVue Oasys Max 1-Day Contact Lenses
    • Intermountain Healthcare & Siemens Healthineers Open 3 Tellica Outpatient Imaging Centers
    • Labcorp Launches At-Home Collection Device For Diabetes Risk Testing
    • How To Overcome The Top 6 Medical Device Manufacturing Challenges
    Breaking News
    • Cepheid, BioGX Partner to Create GeneXpert Monkeypox Test
    • Siemens' Varian Gains FDA IDE Nod for FAST-02 Trial
    • Acutus Medical Launches AcQCross Line Extension
    • Accelmed Partners II, Lauxera Capital Partners Invest in Veranex
    • Agnes Lee Named SVP of Investor Relations, Strategic Planning at Inogen
    View Breaking News >
    CURRENT ISSUE

    June 2022

    • OEMs Seek Molders Offering Timely Techniques
    • Robotic Surgery: Cutting Through to the Latest
    • Packaging, Sterilization Considerations Go Part and Parcel with Product Development
    • View More >

    Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
    You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Contact Us

    follow us

    Subscribe
    Nutraceuticals World

    Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

    CoQ10 and Royal Jelly Supplementation May Improve High Intensity Exercise
    Shiitake Mushroom Extract Appears Helpful in HPV Infections
    Fi & Hi Europe Returns with Over 20,000 Global Attendees Expected
    Coatings World

    Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

    H.M. Royal Becomes Exclusive OCSiAl Distributor
    American Colors to Expand Sandusky, Ohio Facility
    Vaughn O’Dea Named Director of Epoxytec
    Medical Product Outsourcing

    Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

    Cepheid, BioGX Partner to Create GeneXpert Monkeypox Test
    Siemens' Varian Gains FDA IDE Nod for FAST-02 Trial
    Acutus Medical Launches AcQCross Line Extension
    Contract Pharma

    Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

    Ixaka & Minaris Sign Tech Transfer & GMP Manufacturing Agreement for Cell Therapy Candidate
    Pfizer, BioNTech Adapt COVID Vax Against Omicron
    CoreRx Expands Capabilities
    Beauty Packaging

    Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

    Top 5 Beauty Tech Trends at Perfect Corp.'s Global Forum
    John Frieda Supports the LGBTQIA+ Community
    Athena Club Launches in Canada
    Happi

    Latest Breaking News From Happi

    Fencing Champion Bebe Vio Grandis Named Spokeswoman of L’Oréal Paris
    Past Henkel Exec Christian Chopra Named President of Scotch Porter
    Color Street Celebrates Foster, Adoption Awareness with Limited-Edition Print
    Ink World

    Latest Breaking News From Ink World

    Dr. Tammo Boinowitz to Join Management Board of ALTANA AG
    Flint Offset Packaging Solutions Announces Price Increases for Sheetfed Inks
    Weekly Recap: INX’s VC Fund, Screen Industry and Ball Top This Week’s News
    Label & Narrow Web

    Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

    Harveer Sahni recognized with Global Achievement Award
    Color-Logic partners with Taktiful 
    ALTANA announces Management Board change
    Nonwovens Industry

    Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

    Fibertex Personal Care Awarded EcoVadis Awards for Sustainability
    Yanpai Orders Batt Forming Equipment for Needlepunch Line
    Weekly Recap: SWM and Neenah Introduce Mativ Inc., Avgol honored for Biotransformation Technology & More
    Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Researchers Discover Novel Patching Material for Bone Defects
    Boston Centerless Opens Second Manufacturing Plant in Indiana
    Researchers Develop Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Smart Metamaterial Implants
    Printed Electronics Now

    Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

    Identiv-Powered CVS Spoken Rx Wins NFC Forum 2022 Innovation Award
    LG Display Announces Winners of This Year’s OLEDs GO! Competition
    Weekly Recap: eMagin, Applied Materials, and Schott Top This Week’s Stories

    Copyright © 2022 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

    AD BLOCKER DETECTED

    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
    Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


    FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login