The addition of antibacterial materials to TPU gastric tubes does not affect the product performance
After adding antibacterial materials to TPU gastric tubes, they have demonstrated significant advantages in the medical field, mainly reflected in the improvement of antibacterial performance, reduction of infection risk, optimization of biocompatibility, enhancement of physical properties, flexible and diverse processing, and expansion of application scenarios. The following is a detailed introduction
Enhanced antibacterial performance and reduced risk of infection
Antibacterial mechanism: By adding antibacterial agents such as silver ions and organic quaternary ammonium salts, or by using physical/chemical surface modification techniques, TPU gastric tubes can effectively destroy the cell membranes of microorganisms, inhibit their metabolic activities or genetic material synthesis, thereby achieving the inhibition of common pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Some products also have a certain inhibitory effect on viruses, such as the coronavirus.
Clinical value: The enhanced antibacterial performance significantly reduces the risk of infection caused by microbial growth during the use of gastric tubes, making it particularly suitable for patients who need long-term indwelling of gastric tubes, such as comatose patients and postoperative patients.
Biocompatibility optimization and improvement of patient comfort
Material properties: TPU material itself has good blood compatibility and biocompatibility. After adding antibacterial agents, a balance between antibacterial performance and biological safety is achieved through chemical bonding or blending processes. High-quality antibacterial materials should comply with the ISO 10993 biocompatibility standard to ensure they are non-cytotoxic and non-allergenic.
Patient Experience: The antibacterial TPU gastric tube remains soft and natural inside the body, reducing irritation to the mucosa.It is also resistant to erosion by gastric and intestinal juices, allowing for an extended indentation time of over 30 days and reducing the pain and risk of complications caused by repeated catheterization.
Enhanced physical performance and durability guarantee
Mechanical properties: Nanoscale antibacterial particles play a heterogeneous nucleation role in the TPU matrix, increasing the material's crystallinity and refining the crystalline structure, thereby enhancing tensile strength and elongation at break. Experimental data show that as the amount of antibacterial agent added increases, the mechanical properties of the material show an upward trend.
Thermodynamic stability: The addition amount of antibacterial agents affects the glass transition temperature of TPU. When the addition mass fraction is 0.5%-1%, the antibacterial agent is uniformly dispersed and exerts a plasticizing effect, reducing the glass transition temperature. When the addition amount is increased to 1.5%, although it still remains uniformly dispersed, partial agglomeration occurs, resulting in a rise in the glass transition temperature.
Processing flexibility and application scenario expansion
Forming process: Antibacterial TPU gastric tubes can be manufactured into complex structural components such as pipe joints and sealing rings through various processes including injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding. The processing temperature should be controlled within the range of 180 to 220℃ to prevent the decomposition of the antibacterial agent due to high temperature.
Application fields: In addition to traditional gastric tube applications, antibacterial TPU materials have also extended to infection control scenarios such as catheters and infusion tubes, as well as medical consumables fields such as surgical instrument handles and protective equipment. Its resistance to disinfectant wiping makes it an ideal choice for scenarios with high hygiene requirements.
