Issue 40/2015 - High-performance polymers improve durability of medical lighting components

Solvay today announced that it has designed an innovative, more sophisticated new generation of products with its Udel Polysulfone (PSU) and Radel Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) medical grade polymers selected by Medical Illumination International for its flagship MI-1000 surgical lighting products
。 In Medical Lighting's new MI-750 LED lighting system, Solvay's high-performance polymers are injection molded into three parts: handle, handle strut, and stand attachment
.
In addition to supporting the stability of the luminaire during surgery, the Udel and Radel plates allow molded parts to retain durability after frequent sterilization and steam sterilization
.

Medical lighting company used Solvay's Udel?Soft PSU to create lamp handles and stand attachments to help support bearings in place to facilitate the rotation
of the cantilevered lamps.
It can be autoclaved multiple times at temperatures up to 121°C (250°F) without significantly compromising its own performance
.
The high stiffness and dimensional stability of the Udel PSU are very important performance indicators
for lamp stand accessories.
These properties ensure that the component exerts exactly the right amount of pressure on the bearings mounted inside it so that the luminaire can rotate freely but remain stable
when released.
In addition, the polymer has high chemical resistance, as the bracket must be cleaned
frequently with a highly aggressive detergent that can easily damage the low-performance polymer.

Medical lighting company chose the 102-mm (4-inch) handle struts required by Solvay Radel?Franco PPSU to produce the MI-750 because the material improves the impact resistance and stiffness of the components, as well as chemical disinfectant resistance over polycarbonate, which was not as good
in earlier luminaire designs.
（Marla）