Extrusion International 6-2021

30 Extrusion International 6/2021 INDUSTRY NEWS United Soft Plastics (USP) www.unitedsoftplastics.com Impervious www.impervious.dk Medical-Grade TPE Film for Wound Healing Applications Developed „ United Soft Plastics (USP) has de- veloped a custom extruded TPE fi lm which delivers a high level of pa- tient support and treatment-friendly wound healing. The developmental grade makes an effective contribu- tion to increased protection for pa- tients and medical nursing staff. Patients who have been treated with wound dressings for injuries to their arms and legs must receive regular medical care. It is essential to keep the area of the wound dressing clean and dry before any follow-up treatment or daily aftercare and at the same time to protect it from dan- gerous bacterial ingress. Previously, this has been done by covering the wound dress- ing with a medically protective fi lm or protective bag (poly- bag), which is then af fi xed to the skin with an adhesive tape and sealed. However, the removal of the protective fi lm by tearing off the tape from the skin usually causes unpleas- ant pain in connection with unwanted micro-injuries to the topmost skin layer. The USP custom medical grade TPE, which was developed in conjunction with a Danish start-up under the brand name Impervious, relieves patients of undue irritation and pain. The TPE fi lm is a latex-free alternative and does not have to be torn off because it is permanently welded to the polybag as a stretchable, fl exible, and conical sealing strip. As a result, the use of adhesive tape can be completely eliminated. The TPE fi lm product represents a signi fi cant relief in everyday treatment for patients and medical nursing staff, according to Michael Bodmann, USP General Manager-Europe. “When we were approached by one of our European cus- tomers about this idea, we were initially not sure whether „ The GRAFE Group, Blankenhain, has found a new sales representative for Switzerland in Polynova Group AG, Risch- Rotkreuz (Switzerland). The partnership has been of fi cially launched at Fakuma 2021. “Our new Swiss agency special- ises in the distribution and production of high-quality techni- cal plastic granulates and has been active on the market for more than 20 years. The company has a large customer base and the necessary technical expertise to advance our goals in this important market. This includes raising our pro fi le, edu- cating people about our product range and ultimately gain- Sales Partnership for Switzerland ing market share,” says Stefanie Theuerkauf, Sales Manager for the D-A-CH region. Polynova employs fi ve sales staff and three in logistics, all of whom have a technical background. The company’s own warehouse in Rothenburg also ensures the availability of the plastics. GRAFE Advanced Polymers GmbH www.grafe.com we would actually be able to develop a medical TPE grade that combines a multitude of partly contrary performance properties along with the need to meet strict customer and medical regulatory requirements,” said Bodmann. The TPE grade exhibits a low Shore A hardness (25-35), high tear strength in connection with demanding transverse and longitudinal strain loads, and the indispensable require- ment of a very thin wall thickness (0.2-0.4 mm). The com- pany also addressed manufacturing issues so the medical- grade TPE could be produced in a cost-effective manner, said Bodmann. The year-long joint development project is in a pre-com- mercialization phase and undergoing clinical trials. After initial commercialization in Europe, the new TPE fi lm will be made available globally.