Materials Tech Pulse

In today's healthcare landscape, the demand for advanced materials in in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) devices is rapidly growing. The materials must meet stringent safety standards while offering cost efficiency and improved performance. As technology advances, LCY's radiation-resistant polypropylene (PP) is emerging as the go-to option for the medical industry.

Technical Insight: Key Properties of Radiation-Resistant PP

Polypropylene (PP) is known for its thermal stability and chemical resistance, making it widely used in consumer products and medical devices. However, conventional PP is susceptible to degradation from high-energy radiation, such as gamma rays and electron beams, that are used in sterilization processes. Radiation can break down the polymer chains, resulting in discoloration (yellowing), reduced mechanical strength, and brittleness. This poses a significant challenge for medical devices and IVD consumables that need to undergo sterilization, as high stability and structural integrity must be maintained post-sterilization.

To address this challenge, LCY has developed an additive formulation that significantly enhances PP's radiation resistance. The formulation effectively mitigates chain scission during irradiation, prevents yellowing, and maintains color stability - allowing radiation-resistant PP to retain its properties even at high radiation doses. These improvements are particularly valuable for disposable medical devices.

Compared to conventional PP, LCY's radiation-resistant PP retains superior physical and mechanical properties after irradiation sterilization, demonstrating greater resistance to embrittlement. This ensures stability and performance during both sterilization and extended use, enhancing the safety and reliability of medical devices.

Furthermore, LCY’s radiation-resistant PP has passed biocompatibility testing and complies with international medical standards. This ensures outstanding radiation durability and the non-toxic and biocompatible properties required of the medical and IVD devices for clinical diagnostics and laboratory consumables, safeguarding patient health without compromising safety.

Radiation-Resistant PP for IVD Applications

Radiation-resistant PP applications for IVD are primarily focused on laboratory consumables. These include centrifuge tubes, pipette tip, and frozen storage tube - products that require radiation sterilization to ensure sterile handling. As performance requirements for IVD materials continue to increase, radiation-resistant PP offers an ideal balance of performance and the ability to withstand the irradiation process.

For example, centrifuge tubes must undergo sterilization using gamma rays or electron beam irradiation. Conventional PP often suffers from discoloration and degradation in mechanical strength post-irradiation, posing high risks to diagnostic accuracy and user safety. 

LCY's radiation-resistant PP successfully meets these challenges. Even when exposed to high doses of radiation, the material maintains excellent color stability and mechanical integrity. This ensures the long-term reliability and safety of centrifuge tubes in laboratory diagnostic applications.

Additionally, LCY’s radiation-resistant PP also finds successful application in pipette tips, which is a critical tool for precise reagent dispensing in laboratory testing. These tips must retain high mechanical stability and remain safe after sterilization. LCY's PP ensures that pipette tips offer stability even during high-throughput biological testing without compromising diagnostic results.

As radiation-resistant material technologies continue to advance, their applications will expand to a wider range of high-performance PP, particularly in IVD and the other medical devices. LCY is actively developing next-generation breakthroughs to improve stability across various irradiation doses while prioritizing environmentally responsible formulations. These innovations will enable medical device manufacturers to meet stringent safety standards, reduce production costs, and improve overall product performance.

As an industry leader, LCY is committed to providing safe, effective and reliable materials to the global healthcare market. We continue to invest in technological innovation and actively collaborate with partners to create safer and healthier solutions for medical applications.