How material science can inform new medical product development and help design engineers to solve unmet needs is one of the featured topics at next week's medical manufacturing trade show and conference, MD&M Philadelphia. Don DeMello, Field Development Manager at chemicals company Celanese (Irving, TX), will be among the featured speakers and will explain how materials suppliers are hearing the "needs of medical device OEMs and focusing efforts on specific polymer solutions that provide increased benefits to the end user."

In that spirit, DeMello will provide examples of how Celanese's medical-grade Hostaform MT SlideX polyoxymethylene (POM) is bringing value to both manufacturers and patients by improving the sliding properties of drug-delivery and other medical devices.

New thermoplastic polymers enable the production of medical devices with a very low coefficient of friction and wear and minimal squeaking, says Celanese, adding that no external lubrication is needed to achieve these properties.

Hostaform MT SlideX POM is described by Celanese as a competitive alternative to high-performance, tribologically modified compounds. When compared to alternative materials, Hostaform MT SlideX POM offers a significantly lower coefficient of friction in medical devices and comes with the Celanese medical technology (MT) service package, which addresses quality, change control and regulatory compliance in accordance with pharmaceutical and medical industry expectations, says the company.

The conference session devoted to medical polymers will be held on Oct. 8, 2015, at MD&M Philadelphia, which is co-located with PLASTEC Philadelphia, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Other speakers at the full-day session will address metal replacement in cardiac devices (Randolph Chitwood, Direct Flow Medical), leveraging polymer innovation to prevent device-related infections (Jeremy Harris, Secant Medical) and advances in styrenic polymers (Joe Zhou, Chevron Phillips Chemical Co). Johnson & Johnson Research Director Vipul Davé is scheduled to chair the session.

For more information about the event, go to the MD&M Philadelphia website.