Resistant to numerous cycles of sterilisation, 1040-M is suitable for consideration in a range of medical devices and surgical tools. This light-curable material cures in seconds on exposure to UV light, and contains no solvents, to deliver a faster, safer assembly process.
Dymax MD 1040-M is a durable material designed to be autoclave-resistant for more than 100 cycles, is described as offering excellent protection against STERRAD plasma sterilisation, and to be resistant to traditional sterilisation options like ethylene oxide, E-beam, or gamma. It offers low water absorption (0.5%). It meets the requirements for ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity, and is formulated without IBOA (a known skin irritant).
The material is recommended in applications including the bonding and protection of radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips and sensors on surgical and dental tools, housing assemblies, and single- or multiple-use medical devices. The use of RFID chips can provide real-time location information on surgical equipment and endoscopes for managing and auditing these devices. Dymax 1040-M can be used for the protection of medical sensors, and the encapsulation and potting of electronic components. There are further applications in medical scopes and dental equipment.
“The introduction of a light-curable material that can be autoclaved represents a big step forward for medical product manufacturers,” said Ben Swanson, sales manager of Intertronics. “Rather than using a two-part epoxy, which can take a long time to cure and requires mixing, manufacturers have access to almost instant processing. This delivers productivity and lower costs.”
1040-M bonds a variety of substrates including aluminium, stainless steel, glass, PP, PE and printed circuit boards. The single-component material cures with broad spectrum UV light, and is also optimised for 365nm LED curing.
