Materials Plastics: A Material for Safe Medical Care

Of every ten medical products and devices used in hospitals, doctors’ offices, or daily nursing care, five to six are made of plastic. Syringes, cannulas, tubing, implants, or packaging—without this material, modern hygiene, innovation, and efficiency in medicine would hardly be possible.

“About 50 to 60 percent of all medical devices are made of plastic,” notes the German Medical Technology Association (BV-Med). This figure illustrates just how central a role plastic plays in the healthcare sector. “The importance of plastics in medicine has steadily increased over the past few decades. They are used in a wide range of applications, including disposable items, implants, packaging, and medical devices,” says Manfred C. Beeres, spokesperson for BV-Med.

The importance of this material is also confirmed by a market analysis from Grand View Research, a market research firm focused on industrial and consumer goods markets: According to their study, the global market for medical-grade plastics is projected to grow to $87.58 billion by 2030—which is just under a quarter of Apple’s annual revenue in fiscal year 2025 [1].

Medical-Grade Plastics: Certified Quality

Plastics used in the healthcare sector must meet the highest standards—known as “medical-grade plastics.” “Medical-grade plastics are plastics that have been specifically selected and qualified for medical devices and medical applications. They meet defined requirements for biocompatibility, formulation consistency, sterilizability, and quality,” explains Sarah Janczura, spokesperson for the VDI. “These properties are essential for safe and reliable performance in a medical setting.” The VDI 2017 guideline on medical-grade plastics establishes binding criteria and provides a reliable basis for their safe use [2].

Functionalized Plastics: Greater Material Intelligence

Based on this, the material’s properties are further developed. “Functionalized plastics transform a standard material into a component with added value: For example, they can be suitable for sterilization, flexible and high-strength, chemically resistant, biocompatible, or specifically designed to be slippery,” explains Benjamin Redlingshöfer, director of the Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research (TITK). He adds: “This makes it possible to manufacture medical devices that are safer, smaller, lighter, and often more cost-effective.”

Functionalized plastics also enhance safety. “Antibacterial, antiviral, or antifungal properties reduce the microbial load on surfaces and lower the risk of biofilms and resulting infections—especially during prolonged exposure or frequent contact,” says Redlingshöfer.

Plastics are also suitable for modeling custom prostheses, heart valves, or joints. Modern manufacturing processes, such as injection molding, enable the creation of products precisely tailored to therapeutic needs.

“New developments, such as in 3D printing, make it possible to produce patient-specific implants and components that are manufactured to fit precisely,” says BV-Med spokesperson Beeres. Plastic solutions thus make an important contribution to personalized medicine.

Efficiency: Sustainable Concepts

Plastics are also “significantly lighter than metal or glass, which makes them easier to handle. Unit costs decrease in mass production. Metal and glass processing can be more expensive,” confirms Sarah Janczura of the VDI.

Durable designs and high recyclability further promote the responsible and sustainable use of resources. Conclusion: Plastics combine safety, innovation, and efficiency. This makes them essential for high-performance medical technology.

Sources:

[1] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/medical-plastics-market

[2] https://www.vdi.de/mitgliedschaft/vdi-richtlinien/details/vdi-2017-medical-grade-plastics-mgp

This article was first published on our sister site www.devicemed.de