Navigating the Shadows – Compatibility
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.
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
References
3Teska, P., Dayton, R., Li, X., Lamb, J. and Strader, P. (2020). Damage to Common Healthcare Polymer Surfaces from UV Exposure. Nano LIFE, 10(03), p.2050001.
Before adopting UV-C technology
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