USP’s new custom medical grade TPE film relieves patients of irritation and wound pain caused by traditional plastic solutions

United Soft Plastics (USP) Inc., a world leading manufacturer and custom mixer of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), developed a custom extruded TPE film that provides a high level of patient support and friendly wound healing treatment. The degree of development contributes effectively to increasing the protection of patients and nursing staff.

Patients who have been treated with wound dressings for arm and leg injuries should receive regular medical attention, for this reason it is essential to keep the wound dressing area clean and dry prior to any follow-up treatment or daily postoperative care and, at the same time, At the same time, protect it from the dangerous ingress of bacteria.

Previously, this was done by covering the wound dressing with medical protective film or a protective bag (plastic bag), which was then attached to the skin with adhesive tape and sealed. However, removing the protective film by tearing the tape off the skin often causes unpleasant pain in connection with unwanted micro-injuries to the top layer of the skin.

USP’s new custom medical grade TPE film, which was developed together with a Danish company under the brand name Impervious, relieves patients of irritation and wound pain. TPE film is a latex-free alternative and does not have to be torn off because it is permanently welded to the poly bag as a conical, flexible and stretchable sealing strip. As a result, the use of masking tape can be completely eliminated. The product represents a significant relief in daily treatment for patients and nursing medical staff, according to Michael Bodmann, USP CEO for Europe.

“When one of our European clients approached us with this idea, we were initially unsure whether we would actually be able to develop a grade of medical TPE that combines a multitude of partially inconsistent performance properties together with the need to strictly comply with the customer and medical regulatory requirements, ”noted Bodmann.

The year-long joint development project is in a pre-commercialization phase and is undergoing clinical trials. After initial commercialization in Europe, the new TPE film will be available globally.