Medical Supplies
- Syringes, needles
- Gloves, non-woven sets
- Gowns, drapes
- Sponges, dressings
- Tubing, catheters
- Sutures
- Electrodes
- Dialysers
- Sets, kits
- Lubricating jelly
- Bandages – Crape, cotton crape, gauze
- Cotton – buds, pads, swabs
- Dressings – finger dressings, first field dressings, paraffin gauze dressings, shell dressings Kits – Maternity/Dai, Minor Surgery, Vasectomy
- Sutures: with or without needles (Absorbable/Nonabsorbable) – catgut, linen, polyester and silk
- Hemostate Medical Devices: Absorbable gelatin sponge, Perfusion sets, Hypodermic syringes and needles, Intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCD)
- Pharmaceuticals, Powders and Others : Debrisan, Neomycin sulphate powder, Prickly heat powder (containing boric and salicylic acid), Fluorescein sodium strips, Catalin tablets
Radiation Stability of Polymers used for Medical Applications
| MATERIAL | STABILITY | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|
| Thermoplastics | ||
| Acrylonitrie/Butadiene/Styrene(ABS) | Excellent | |
| Aromatic Polyesters(PET,PETG) | Excellent | No discoloration |
| Cellulosics- | Fair | Esters are better than cellulose |
| Esters and Ethers | ||
| Cellulose Acetate | ||
| Fluoropolymers | ||
| Tetrafluroethylene(TFE) | Poor | |
| Polychlorotriflurorethylene (PCTFE) | Poor | |
| Polyvinly Fluoride | Good | |
| Polyvinylidene fluoride | Good | Tend to cross link |
| Ethylene-Tetrafluorethylene(ETFE) | Good | Tend to cross link |
| Fluorinated ethylene propylene(FEP) | Fair | Okay for some applications |
| Polyacetals (Delrin, Celcon) | Poor | Irradiation causes severe embitterment, discoloration and cracking over time |
| Polyacrylics | Fair | Yellow discoloration which tends to fade over time. Stabilized and tinted material available |
| Polymethylmethacrylate- | ||
| Polyacrylonitrile | ||
| Polyacrylate | ||
| Polyhydroxacrylate | ||
| Polycyanoacrylate | ||
| Polyallomers | Good | Copolymer of polyethylene and polypropylene reduces oxidation embitterment |
| Polyamides(Nylons)- | ||
| Aliphatic | Good | Slight discoloration. Tends to cross link increasing tensile strength |
| Aromatic | Excellent | |
| Polycarbonate | Excellent | Yellows slightly. Mechanical properties not affected much. Tints and stabilizers available |
| Polyethylene | Excellent | Cross links, tensile strength increases and modulus of elasticity decreases |
| Poly(ethylene-acrylate) | Good | |
| Polymethylpentene | Good | |
| Polyamides | Excellent | Doses exceeding 1000 Mrads are okay |
| PolyphenyleneSulfide | Excellent | Doses exceeding 5000 Mrads are okay |
| Polypropylene | Good-Poor | Stabilization required to prevent embitterment. Exercise caution because effects may increase with time-months after irradiation . |
| Polystyrene | Excellent | Slight yellow discoloration possible |
| Polysulfone | Excellent | Natural material is yellow |
| Polyvinyl formal | Good | Less stable than PVC |
| polyvinylbutyral | Good | Less Stable than PVC |
| polyvinyl chloride(PVC) | Good | Can discolor but stabilizers are available to prevent yellowing |
| polyvinylidene chloride | Good | Less stable than PVC |
| Styrene/Acrylonitrile(SAN)Thermosets | Excellent | Less stable than styrene alone |
| Ally Digycol carbonate (polyester) | Excellent | Maintain excellent optical properties |
| Epoxies | Excellent/td> | Aromatic curing agent are recommended |
| phenolic | Excellent | Mineral fillers increase stability |
| Polyesters | Excellent | The use of mineral fillers or glass fibers further increase stability |
| polyurethanes | Excellent | Discoloration is normal |
| Elastomers | ||
| Butyl | Fair | |
| Ethylene-Propylene Oiene | Excellent | |
| Fluroro | Good | |
| Natural | Excellent | |
| Nitrile | Good | Discoloration is normal |
| Polycrylic | Fair | |
| Polychloroprene | Good | Some discoloration, aromatic politicizes improve stability. |
| Silicones | Good | Phenyl substitutes material are more stable than methyl silicones. |
| styrene-Butadiene | Excellent | |
| uRETHANE | Excellent |
Pharmaceuticals
- Eye ointments
- Burn ointments
- Tetracyclines
- Cortizones
- Vitamins
- Water
- In Collapsible Aluminum Tubes : Atropine Sulphate, Chloramphenicol, chlorotetracycline, Gentamycin sulphate, Neosporin (Neomycin sulphate, polymixin, and bacitracin), Tetracycline
- In Soft Gelatin Capsule: Chloramphenicol
- Skin Ointments in Polyethylene Glycol Base: Neomycin sulphate Hydrocortisone acetate, alpha chymotrypsin
Cosmetics And Sanitary Products
- Facial cosmetics
- Artificial eye lashes
- Mascara
- Baby bottle
- Baby powder
- Sanitary napkins, tampons
- Packaging materials
- Cosmetics : Artificial eyelash, Eyebrow pencil, Face powder, Kajal, Lipstick, Talcum powder
Vaterinary Products
- Quinapyramine chloride and sulphateacial cosmetics
Foods
- Grains
- Tubers
- Spices
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Fish
- Poultry
- Meat
- Processed foods
- Juices
- Pet foods
- Animal feed
- Enzymes
- Hospital meals
Radiation Purpose in food industry
|
Food |
Purpose |
|
Bulbs, stem and root tubers and rhizomes |
Inhibit sprouting |
|
Fresh fruits and vegetables (other than Class 1)
|
Delay ripening |
|
Insect disinfestation |
|
|
Shelf-life extension |
|
|
Quarantine application |
|
|
Cereals and their milled products, pulses and their milled products, nuts, oil seeds, dried fruits and their products |
Insect disinfestation |
|
Reduction of microbial load |
|
|
Fish, aquaculture, seafood and their products (fresh or frozen) and crustaceans |
Elimination of pathogenic microorganisms |
|
Shelf-life extension |
|
|
Control of human parasites |
|
|
Meat and meat products including poultry (fresh and frozen) and eggs |
Elimination of pathogenic microorganisms |
|
Shelf-life extension |
|
|
Control of human parasites |
|
|
Dry vegetables, seasonings, spices, condiments, dry herbs and their products, tea, coffee, cocoa and plant products |
Microbial decontamination |
|
Insect disinfestation |
|
|
Dried foods of animal origin and their products
|
Insect disinfestation |
|
Control of moulds |
|
|
Elimination of pathogenic microorganisms |
|
|
Ethnic foods military rations, space foods, ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook/minimally processed foods |
Quarantine application |
|
Reduction of microorganisms |
|
|
Sterilization |
Laboratory Supplies
- Containers
- Bio-assay dishes
- Culture flasks
- Pipettes
Pharmaceutical Supplies
- Droppers
- Dispensers
- Tubing
- Nappies
- Sanitary napkins
- Umbilical cord taps
- Packaging materials
- Containers
- Talcum
- Aluminium caps and containers
- Empty aluminum tubes (collapsible)
- Orthopedic implants
- Surgical blades
- Surgical tools
Ayurvedic products And Raw Material
- Belladonna dry extract
- Ergot Powder
- Papain
- Rawolfiaserpentineacial cosmetics
Plastic And Rubber
- Cannulae
- Catheters (Folley, Gibbon etc.)
- Pharmaceutical Containers/Closures, Droppers (eye,nasal)
- Plugs and sprinklers
- Drapes (polyethylene)
- Forceps
- Hydrocephalus shunts
- Latex rubber gloves and Bungs
- Petri dishes, Scalp vein sets
- Shunt valves
- Silastic rings
- Tapes (for sealing)
- Trays
- Trolley Covers
- Tubings (endotracheal, duodenal, feeding, Ryles etc.)
- Urine drainage bags
Miscellaneous
- Bone grafts (deproteinated, degreased and lyophilised)
- Bone wax
- Cellulose acetate membrane (for bacterial filtration)
- Contact lens solution
- Face masks
- Gelatin (photographic grade)
- Glass fibre filters
- Glass vials and bottles (pharmaceutical)
- Hip joint
- Normal saline and Ringer’s lactate solution (for kidney perfusion and cleaning of wounds)
- Starch (for gloves)
- Media strips and plates.
Other Applications
- Radiation hardening of electronic components
- Sterilization of wine corks
- Wood\polymer flooring
- Food packaging materials
- Flowers