CYRO Presents Heat-Aging Effects on Medical Packaging Materials at ANTEC in Chicago

Published: June 02, 2004, By pffc-online.com

PRESS RELEASE

ROCKAWAY, NJ, USA—Medical packaging engineers, device manufacturers, as well as other attendees of this year's ANTEC conference (Chicago, IL, USA, May 16 - 20, 2004) may now have a better understanding of the effects of heat and sterilization on rigid medical packaging stability thanks to Cyro Industries.

According to the manufacturer, Cyro's Dr. Dimo Dimov presented a paper at the conference that discusses the effects of heat aging on three grades of XT polymer acrylic-based multipolymer compound from Cyro Industries as well as from competitive copolyesters. Comparative studies show how each material reacts to sterilization and elevated temperatures and what effect they have on material, says Cyro's release about Dimov's presentation.

Explains Dr. Dimov, "Our studies show how device manufacturers can enhance medical packaging reliability significantly with thermoformed acrylic-based polymer packaging."

At Antec, Dr. Dimov's presented results regarding these materials before and after they underwent EtO sterilzation at standard hospital cycles. "Typical cycle conditions ranged from 125°F - 145° F, 100 percent EtO gas in 600 ± 50 mg/L gas concentration, and four hours exposure time. Packaging failure is often attributed to impact strength loss and embrittlement of material after sterilization. The discussion shows how acrylic exhibits better property retention ensuring safe, sterilized packaging," adds Cyro.

Continues the company, "The selection of medical packagign materials depends greatly on various material characteristics, including compatibility with sterilization methods and the effects of heat aging on materials following sterilization. It is critical for medical packages to retain mechanical properties to endure the rigors of sterilization, distribution, and storage while maintaining the integrity of packaged sterilized medical devices."

More information about Cyro is available at cyro.com.