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​Tritan MXF121 provides chemical-resistant, BPA-free alternative

 Kingsport, Tenn., USA - Sept. 18, 2014 - Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MXF121, an opaque material, was selected as the material of construction for the new Echo-Screen® III hearing screener from Natus Medical. Eastman is helping medical companies meet customer needs and regulatory requirements with the introduction of this revolutionary material. Launched at the 2014 Medical Design & Manufacturing show, the material is intended for use in hand-held and other medical-device housings. Tritan MXF121 is free of bisphenol A (BPA), tough and resistant to aggressive cleaners and disinfectants.

Responding to caregiver, patient needs
The Echo-Screen III device is used primarily for newborn hearing screening and is a compact, all-in-one device that incorporates transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) capabilities. Natus Medical, a global leader in newborn hearing screening solutions, has manufactured and sold Echo-Screen technology for the past 10 years. To answer customer needs, the company established new material requirements for its infant care products, beginning with the Echo-Screen III hearing screener.

The device components were originally designed and tooled using polycarbonate (PC)/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) alloy. Natus Medical selected Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MXF121 for its hearing screener because, compared with PC/ABS, the material is not manufactured with BPA and has superior chemical resistance. Tritan MXF121 also is made without halogens and ortho-phthalate plasticizers.

"Medical-device housings such as the Echo-Screen III are used in health care environments that rely on increasingly aggressive cleansers and disinfectants to prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs)," said Ellen Turner, market development manager, speciality plastics, medical devices, Eastman. "Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MXF121 provides excellent chemical resistance against these cleaners and disinfectants. This - as well as the material's toughness - can translate into reduced device failure and greater peace of mind for health care professionals and patients."

The Echo-Screen III hearing screener made with Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MXF121 also meets flame resistance safety ratings established by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Tritan MXF121 received an all-color UL® 94 V2 rating at 1.5 mm. The material also is suitable for transducer housing applications that have contact with skin.

Next-generation device
Natus Medical also chose Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MXF121 for the Echo-Screen III hearing screener because it has excellent mechanical properties, impact resistance, aesthetics and moldability. Natus used existing production molds with only minor modifications, because the linear mold shrinkage of Tritan MXF121 is nearly identical to PC/ABS.

"I am very pleased to see the impressive results and unique design of this product development effort," said Jim Hawkins, president and CEO of Natus Medical. "The Natus development team was able to meet user requirements for a DEHP-free and BPA-free product by partnering with Eastman on material selection. We believe this next-generation product will be very well-received by our international customers as hearing screening adoption continues to grow worldwide."

The device was introduced outside the United States earlier this year, and U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) clearance was received in August. Eastman and Natus plan to work together to convert additional product lines to Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MXF121.

For more information about the Eastman Tritan™ copolyester portfolio, visit www.eastman.com/tritan.



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