Carbon Releases MPU 100 Material for Medical Applications

Carbon has launched Medical Polyurethane 100 (MPU 100), its first medical-grade material. This white polymer resin provides a combination of mechanical strength, biocompatibility and sterilizability, making it optimally designed for components of medical systems, skin-contact devices, drug-contact devices and single-use medical device applications, the company says.

With the growing need for medical tools that are easy to produce, versatile, and also strong and durable enough to withstand demanding medical environments, MPU 100 offers a solution for producing end-use parts such as complex adaptors for diagnostic analysis systems, textured instrument handles, single use instruments and bioprocessing components. According to the company, each of these applications brings distinct manufacturing opportunities, such as targeting better user experiences with complex geometries and textured surfaces, consolidating multi-part assemblies into one printed part, and pursuing a more customized portfolio with low-volume, high-mix part production.

The MPU 100 material is engineering grade with abrasion resistance, tested to USP VI and ISO 10993-5 and -10 biocompatibility. It is compatible with ethylene oxide, e-beam and gamma sterilization methods, and maintains its biocompatibility post-sterilization. The material is also compatible with common disinfectants.

“With MPU 100, Carbon is enabling new capabilities for medical device manufacturers by providing the mechanical properties, biocompatibility, sterilization compatibility, and chemical resistance to produce safe and reliable end-use products for patients,” says Jason Rolland, vice president of materials at Carbon. “The life sciences and medical device industries show enormous promise for using 3D printing for production at scale, and we will continue to prioritize the development of next-generation materials in this segment.”