June 04 / In another benefit to the healthcare sector, the vinyl industry’s newest offering promises to revolutionize the technology for blood-handling devices – increasing the safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of critical medical procedures.

A new vinyl resin incorporates a bioactive molecular component that is anti-clotting (or anti-thrombogenic) in nature, preventing blood from clotting. The tendency of blood to clot or coagulate when it contacts foreign objects poses a problem in procedures such as open heart surgery, dialysis, platelet collection, wound drainage, insertion of catheters into arteries and veins, and during the collection, handling and storage of blood and blood products.

The bioactive components of the new copolymers simulate the anti-clotting messages generated in the lining of blood vessels by the naturally occurring substance heparin. Heparin, produced by the skin cells lining our arteries and veins, is the body’s way of combating the clotting mechanism that occurs when blood leaves the body. The anti-clotting component of the new copolymer is built directly into the PVC polymer backbone. This is significant, because it cannot be removed, extracted or find its way into the blood stream, which may happen with conventional devices. To minimize the cost of producing medical devices that prevent blood clotting, a thin bioactive compound layer is co-extruded onto the inside wall of the medical device. The bulk of the device is produced from lower-cost conventional vinyl. PVC manufacturer VESTOLIT GmbH & Co. KG developed the innovative resin.

Another vinyl manufacturer, Teknor Apex, will use it to develop anti-thrombogenic vinyl compounds and plans to commercialize them within the next two years. For more information, visit www.teknorapex.com.