AN ALTERNATIVE product to conventional PVC tubing for the delivery of medical gases has been introduced by Medline Scientific. Its phthalate-free Purehose is said to overcome the health risks associated with plasticisers in traditional hosing, making it a safer alternative for use in hospitals and operating theatres.
Purehose was (ahem) rolled out at the recent Arab Health exhibition in Dubai
Phthalates are commonly used as plasticisers in many PVC products, where their plasticising effects make the material more supple and workable. Because phthalates are not covalently bound to the material matrix, they are easily leached into the environment. Exposure to phthalates is implicated in disruption of hormone levels (endocrine disruption), and the chemicals are suspected to be carcinogenic.
Medline says that, with the development of Purehose, equipment manufacturers and operators have an alternative to PVC. Purehose is made of a polyurethane plastic, which it says has the required flexibility as an inherent property, with no loss of strength or rigidity.
The tubing is compliant with recent specifications, conforms to BS EN ISO 5359:2008, and the materials are USP VI compliant and have FDA 175.105 food contact approval, says the company.
After an earlier launch in the UK, Purehose has now been rolled out to an international market.