Historically, medical device manufacturers did not consider plastics to mold parts because plastic resins posed the possibility of cross contamination.  Today, medical device engineers are reconsidering plastics, specifically fluoropolymers that can be formulated to resist UV-C light degradation and reflectivity to leverage sterilization benefits and part manufacturing flexibility.

Fluoropolymers or Teflon®, are a group of high-performance plastics with excellent temperature and chemical resistance that are increasingly being injection molded in a variety of medical products today.  Unique characteristics such as UV-C light reflectivity, biocompatibility, low friction, chemical inertness, non-porosity, and compatibility with UV-C sterilization technologies, make them suitable for uses in many types of medical devices.

Fluoropolymers, such as FEP and PFA are resistant to higher transmission rates of UV light than glass, polyethylene, or polycarbonate allowing the full spectrum of solar light to pass through offering the benefits of sterilization.  These fluoropolymers are flexible and do not discolor, making them an ideal material to produce medical components to be UVC sterilized.