Leverkusen, Germany. Avant Medical, a medical technology developer based in San Diego, Calif., is developing the latest generation of Pulse Injection® technology for needle-free medical syringes. The "Gen3" device can output 30 doses at a time from a drug library. To achieve this goal, Avant Medical utilizes Makrolon® Rx530 polycarbonate material and leverages LLC's expertise in Bayer MaterialScience.
This patented product from Avant Medical is for those who need to inject their own medications regularly, or for professional medical staff in the clinic. The Pulse Injection® system is based on vacuum stability and a two-step transfer method to ensure reliable and convenient injection. Each dose of drug is delivered through a nozzle made of Makrolon® Rx2530 material on a dark spot. The syringe provides a fluid path for the drug, and it also produces a pulse when it penetrates the skin.
Makrolon® from Bayer MaterialScience has become more and more widely used in plastic medical products. For example, Avant Medical and Alcon Grieshaber AG in Switzerland use Makrolon® Rx2530 materials to make micro-pliers and scissors for ophthalmology. This application was later classified as 2458. Markus Krieter, a medical device specialist from Bayer MaterialScience's polycarbonate business unit, cites an example of a recently introduced portable micro-injection pump manufactured by RoweMed AG: “Makrolon used by RoweMed in the past and with remarkable results. The ®Rx 1805 material perfectly meets the stringent requirements of the RoweMiniPump shape. Our polycarbonate provides the high clarity, high impact strength, drug resistance and ease of disinfection required for this application."
Makrolon® Rx2530 is used in many medical devices that require minimal color change after exposure to a sterilizing dose of gamma radiation. The product also meets the requirements of the ISO 10993 standard set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the "Medical Device Bioassessment" requirement for 30 days of indirect blood contact applications. These advantages derive from the dimensional stability and ease of processing of polycarbonates from Bayer MaterialScience. All of these factors were ultimately attributed to the Makrolon® Rx2530 material selected by Avant Medical for Gen 3 devices. The nozzle of the needle-less injector can withstand 45 times the force of impulse, so it meets the requirements of 50% safety margins of international standards. According to John Slate, deputy chief executive officer of Avant Medical, these are not just because of material importance. “The technical support of Bayer MaterialScience in design optimization also helped us to achieve the required strength of the nozzle. Bayer MaterialScience experts are an important resource for us. They are familiar with their materials and are willing to spend time and energy to ensure that we end up Product success."