A YEAR IN THE MAKING

After celebrating my first-year anniversary as the editor of Medical Plastics News in March, I thought it was only fitting to reminisce about the amazing experiences I have had due to the role.

The first thing to mention is obviously being able to travel with the incredible Medical Plastics News team; being able to visit Düsseldorf for Medica and Anaheim for MD&M West with some of the most talented people I’ve ever met, is of course a plus.

In February, I had the opportunity to record a live podcast at MD&M West along with my colleague Caroline, Arjun Luthra from BioInteractions and Aaron Johnson from Accumold – a couple of the many amazing connections I’ve made throughout the past 12 months.

Speaking of amazing connections, to be able to connect with new people and see familiar faces is probably the best thing about this job. To be recognized by connections I have made from shows gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

Another huge sense of accomplishment is seeing our magazine being showcased at some of the biggest medical expos in the world.

Of course, the highlight of the last year was the Med-Tech Innovation Expo. Being behind the scenes, seeing the show come together and helping people - whether that be setting up or once the show was in full swing - was an experience.

Thinking back on how successful the 2022 show was, I can’t wait for MedTech Innovation Expo 2023.

For myself, there are so many things I’m looking forward to this year’s expo, one of which is the PITCH conference. The PITCH is a competition where medtech start-ups will be live on-stage pitching about their company and products.

I enjoyed watching the PITCH last year and learning about these new innovative devices in the early stages of their journey, it’s inspiring to see products being designed and developed to make the lives of others easier and safer.

Another aspect of the show that I can’t contain my excitement for is the Med-Tech Innovation Awards; last year I wasn’t too sure what to expect as it was my first awards show, but it exceeded my expectations.

Being able to get dressed up to the 9s, socialize with nominees and cheering on the winners – especially for the awards sponsored by Medical Plastics News – what could be better?

The finalists for 2023 have recently been announced for the five Med-Tech Innovation Awards – 3D Printing Award, Connected Health Award, Design Award, Materials Innovation Award and Sustainability Award – and there’s a lot of big names from the medical plastics industry, for example Kraiburg TPE is nominated for a Materials Innovation Award and AstraZeneca’s autoinjector is nominated for a Design Award.

Not to mention, this year, the host for the black-tie event is the presenter, speaker and Invictus Games medalist JJ Chalmers!

The show in general will be incredible, it’s a not-to-be-missed event - I know it’s easy for me to say that, especially since 2022 was my first year, but if the 2022 testimonials are anything to go by, I know it was an undeniable success.

There’s a lot to look forward to for the 2023 MedTech Innovation Expo, and I can’t wait to see some you there! Please let me know if you will be there and we can schedule a time for a chat.

Thermoplastics Update

https://www.teknorapex.com/

Teknor Apex develops portfolio of TPEs as silicone alternatives

Teknor Apex has launched a portfolio of Medalist thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) as medical-grade alternatives to liquid silicone rubber (LSR).

These materials provide a cost-effective, easy-toprocess alternative to liquid silicone rubber (LSR) and feature flexibility and rubberlike elasticity for medical applications.

Medalist TPEs are excellent candidates for tubing used in drug delivery, gas supply and chest drainage.

Teknor Apex states that the benefits for this material choice with medical tubing include a low level of extractables, low drug interactions, excellent throughput rates, and a wide operating temperature range.

Sustainability Update

Unlike LSR, Medalist TPE is completely recyclable during processing, which can result in manufacturing efficiencies. In addition, no refrigeration is needed to store TPE.

The company also claims this material is economical, saying Medalist TPE is five times more cost-effective than LSR, considering LSR is prone to longer cycle times, complicated molding processes, and higher production costs.

https://www.plasticingenuity.com/