One of the interesting products introduced at Compamed 2012 held last week in Düsseldorf, Germany was aliphatic polyurethane foam for wound management from Bayer MaterialScience.

Based on Baymedix FP reactive foam technology, the material is said to have a high absorption rate coupled

with fluid retention capability. It is also described by a BMS official as a very smooth and conformable foam that is non-yellowing, maintaining its white color over time.

The foams can be coated with a two-component adhesive made from Baymedix, a solvent-free material also based on aliphatic polyurethane chemistry. The new material is designed to replace silicone adhesive.

Filtrona Porous Technologies (Colonial Heights, VA), also showed new polyurethane-based foams for wound care applications.  Specific innovations include molded and thermoformable medical-grade foams.

The focus at BASF's booth was on the antimicrobial HyGentic product portfolio as well as engineering plastics for medical technology applications. HyGentic SBC, a new product, is a transparent injection-moldable styrene butadiene block copolymer granulate material that contains antimicrobial silver ions. Target applications include inhalers or ventilation filters.

"Medical devices produced with HyGentic products can be disinfected by conventional procedures," said Edgar Eichholz, business development manager--medical device materials at BASF.

BASF has a medical devices team at its research and development center in Tarrytown, NY.

Bal Seal Engineering  (Foothill Ranch, CA) showed custom- PTFE fluoropolyme and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene seals designed to protect high-speed rotary drive units for catheters used in vascular navigation, atherectomy, angioplasty and ablation procedures. The seals protect against the ingress of saline, blood and other fluids that can lead to motor failure. The company also formulates advanced polymers for high-speed sealing.

Compamed 2012 drew 645 exhibitors from 34 nations and 16,000 visitors.