The development of plastic has revolutionized nearly every aspect of daily life, but perhaps no industry has been as transformed by plastic as medicine. Medical device manufacturing relies on plastics for packaging, of course, but plastics play an essential role in patient care as well. In fact, some of the most innovative, life-saving treatments rely on plastic. While some of these advances are several years away from becoming standard, here are some of the ways that plastic is driving medical innovation.

Exciting Developments in Medical Device Manufacturing with Plastic

1. Temporary Artificial Hearts 

Patients who need a heart transplant do not always have time to wait for a suitable donor organ. Researchers have created a temporary plastic heart that can perform the functions of a heart for an individual facing heart failure. The prosthetic organ is made using biocompatible plastics, so they can also be used for patients whose bodies have rejected donor organs in the past. Although still undergoing clinical trials, this medical device has the potential to extend patients' lives while they wait for an organic heart.

2. Needles 

For many people, the idea of getting a shot for treatment or a vaccine is anxiety-inducing. Advances in medical device manufacturing are aimed at eliminating the pain of injections with plastic microneedles. These plastic needles are small—less than a millimeter long—and when placed on the skin, they dissolve and deliver the medicine or vaccine without piercing the skin. Researchers are also developing plastic jet injectors that can deliver medications through the mucosal layer inside the mouth without having to go though the skin.

3. Practice Organs

Surgeons are already using plastics to improve their surgical procedures by creating plastic organs to practice on with 3D printers. By feeding images from digital scans into a 3D printer, doctors can create plastic replicas of a patient's organs to examine and use to develop a surgical approach. This helps reduce complications and allows for surgeons to perform complex procedures using less invasive approaches. 

4. Skin Grafts 

Plastic has long been used in the manufacture of prosthetic limbs, but advances in medical device manufacturing may soon allow for more lifelike skin on artificial limbs and for healing burns and other wounds. When combined with skin stem cells, plastic can be used for skin grafts, but scientists are working on ways to use polymers with electrical conductivity that can give artificial skin the same sensitivity as organic skin. Essentially, this technology will restore the sense of touch in people with artificial limbs or nerve damage. 

For the most advanced medical device manufacturing and packaging solutions, rely on Pacific Integrated Manufacturing of Bonita, CA. For more than two decades they have been a leading source of plastics manufacturing, using the most advanced precision injection molding techniques and more. To learn more about how they can help you, call (619) 921-3464 or visit their website.