Plastic polymers make up a significant proportion of modern semi-critical devices. This includes ultrasound devices and endoscopes, which typically contain plastics such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polypropylene (PP), Polycarbonate (PC), and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). These plastics offer a balance of properties such as mechanical strength, chemical resistance, flexibility, transparency, and ease of processing, making them suitable for various components and applications within ultrasound devices.

UV-C light has been shown to cause damage to plastics through consistent exposure. A recent study assessed the impact of UV-C light exposure on 10 plastic materials commonly used in healthcare. All materials showed degradation, however some plastics such as ABS and Polycarbonate showed evidence of significant surface damage.³ These materials are commonly used for device surroundings and casings.

It was concluded that: ‘exposure to UV-C should be limited for these types of materials as much as possible in healthcare facilities, especially where UV-C devices are routinely used’.
(Teska et al., 2020)³