Evolved Medical Offerings from Eastman Featured at MD&M West

Eastman Chemical Company is featuring its medical materials portfolio and a new testing protocol at the Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West trade show in Anaheim, California, Feb. 7 to 9. An ever-evolving medical market and regulatory landscape make it essential for experts and resources to be available at every stage of the development and manufacturing process. To get a glimpse into how a proven supplier can help throughout this process, attendees have the opportunity to get in-person experience with Eastman’s medical market offerings and experts at MD&M West.

“Because regulations are driving major change for medical companies, our team has spent a great deal of time researching them, how they’ll impact medical devices and packaging, and then translating their findings into an expanded medical materials portfolio that addresses the industry’s needs,” said Tammy Trivette, medical business director, Eastman. “With an ear on what’s happening in the industry and what our customers are saying, we will continue to innovate and bring new options to market. We have the right foundational materials to build upon and tackle the unmet needs of the industry.”

Eastman has a portfolio of offerings that is ideal for medical use and has evolved over time to continually meet the long-term needs of the medical industry. Eastman’s advanced materials — Eastman Tritan™ copolyester, Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MXF121, Eastman Eastar™ 6763 and Eastalite™ copolyester — can make lasting improvements to medical devices and packaging.

• Eastman’s devices portfolio includes Eastman Tritan™ copolyester, which has been helping advance medical devices since 2009. As part of the offering, Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MXF121 is an opaque polymer that offers excellent hydrolytic stability, good chemical resistance and toughness in hand-held and other electronic medical device housings. Tritan MXF121 can withstand rigorous use and disinfectants, while offering increased durability and product failure reductions.
• With 40 years of experience helping protect medical devices with superior packaging, Eastman Eastar™ 6763 is an established material with superior functionality in processing, including film and sheet extrusion.
• As part of the rigid medical packaging portfolio, Eastalite™ copolyester was launched at MD&M West in 2014 as the company’s first lightweight, opaque packaging material. Eastalite meets the medical industry’s need for a sustainable, rigid medical packaging that is easier to process and a less brittle alternative to high-impact polystyrene.

These materials provide innovative solutions for protective and functional rigid medical packaging, as well as non-implantable medical devices, flexible packaging and labware.

Beyond the company’s products, Eastman experts provide medical industry knowledge, along with engineering and manufacturing expertise throughout the development process. One area of focus for Eastman experts is testing protocols for molded devices. The right testing protocol is critical to end-product success, yet current testing protocols have a blind spot when it comes to the long-term impact of disinfectants. Eastman experts developed a new 4-step testing protocol that identifies potential weak points earlier in the development process, allowing for easier adjustments on devices prior to going to market. Best of all, the new protocol takes only 24 hours to complete.

Advanced information on Eastman’s processes and products can be found through webinars and white papers, accessible on the company’s website.

To learn more about Eastman’s medical market offerings and talk to the company’s experts, visit Booth 2407 during MD&M West.