Thermoplastic technology provider Sabic worked together with the infection prevention and products company PDI to test medical device plastics. The test results will help to protect patients from infections that could be obtained from the material itself the two are not compatible.

The companies tested Sabics thermoplastics in a test called “Environmental Stress Cracking Resistance” (ESCR), which tests how the plastic reacted to PDI’s PDI’s Super Sani-Cloth wipe during repetitive exposure. Some plastics may not be compatible with disinfectants, causing the plastics to ware over time and expose patients to infections.

Medical devices are constantly exposed to hospital disinfectants but in-depth testing has yet to be conducted.

According to Business-Standard, “The joint PDI and SABIC study, completed in 2016, provided insights about issues such as disinfection guidelines & the link to compatibility; major causes of material incompatibility; and importance of identifying correct materials for medical device housing and parts.”

Cheryl Moran of PDI Infection Prevention said that in order to understand the relationship between medical devices and disinfectants, the two industries must work together.

“The outcomes of a joint approach can ultimately benefit patients by better protecting them from potential harm caused by damaged or improperly disinfected equipment,” Moran said.