Medical Products
Polymers are the most important and largest family of materials being used in medical applications. Polymers have various advantages such as lightweight, easy processability and reproducibility, non-toxicity, biocompatibility and good aesthetics. Because of these advantages, polymers are used in the various medical devices such as artificial limbs, wound dressing, artificial skin, blood bag, CAPD bag, bioprosthetic heart valve, various replacement joints, bioabsorbable suture, contact and intraocular lenses, orthodontic devices, tissue adhesive, bandages and drug carrier & implants.
Major R&D Projects
SRI has successfully developed various polymer based products for medical applications.
Body Warmer
SRI has developed heat releasing chemical composition along with heat stable polymer film for body warmer bag. Bag is ideally suited for applications such as orthopedic heating pad for body fomentation, heating pad for baby nursery, instant heating for automobile engine etc.
Low cost disposable medical hygiene products
A technology for the manufacture of low cost disposable healthcare products viz. diapers and sanitary napkins have been developed.
Low weight Radiation resistant aprons
Low weight lead free x-ray resistant protective garments were developed for use by medical professionals and radiation operators
Nanocomposites for optical applications
The technology for optical buttons of high transparency, variable refractive index of 1.53-1.59 have been developed from metal containing polyacrylates of metal salts such as Lanthanum, barium, lead and titanium.
High refractive index lens
A technology has been developed for colourless, impact resistant, transparent and bubble free lenses upto + 10 Diopters for application in high refractive index lens.
Foldable intraocular lens
A technology for the development of foldable intraocular lenses with high refractive index, transparency and flexiblity has been developed by the cryogenic machining of intraocular lens blanks.
Blood Bag
SRI has developed blood bag composition having physico-mechanical as well as hematological properties conforming to ISO 3826.
CAPD system for Continuous Ambulatory Peritonial Dialysis
SRI has developed CAPD system with dialysate solution and its physico-mechanical as well as toxicological properties are comparable with the standard available product.
Technology for production of bone cement and bone substitute
Bone cement is used to fill the gap between bone and prosthesis. Bone cement has been prepared on laboratory scale and physico-mechanical properties viz. dough time, setting time, bending modulus and compressive strength are comparable to the imported product.
Vaginal Speculum
Disposable vaginal speculum has been developed for gynaecological applications. These can replace metallic speculum, which needs to be sterilized for long periods and pose risks of disease transmission if improperly sterilized.
Tinted Contact lens
A technology for the development of contact lenses with variable refractive index from 1.53-1.55, hues from red to blue ,transparency and softness has been developed by gamma radiation.
Mid refractive index lenses
A technology has been developed for making mid refractive index lenses by gamma radiation polymerization.
Mid-High refractive index lenses :
A technology has been developed for tailor making of refractive index between 1.55-1.60 of mid refractive index materials such as DEGBAC into high refractive index material by using a high refractive index additive.
Polyglycolic acid (PGA) based synthetic absorbable sutures
Processes for synthesizing glycolide & polyglycolic acid (PGA) have been developed. The synthesized PGA was found comparable to imported PGA.
Consumer Products
Because of the inherent benefits associated with plastics, they are widely used in manufacturing of various products such as consumer products and in packaging applications. Some of the consumer products developed at SRI:
Cling Film
Polyethylene based single/multi-layered cling film was developed for both industrial and food packaging applications.
Rodent Repellent PVC and PE compositions
Rodent repellent PVC and PE compositions laminated with jute fabric have been developed for storage of grains in godowns
Abrasion resistant low cost shoe soles
PVC/PU blends and PVC/NBR blends have been developed for abrasion resistant low cost shoe soles conforming to IS specifications
PVC compositions for floor tiles
Cost effective, highly filled calenderable PVC compositions were developed for floor tiles application
High performance Cables
PVC and PE based compositions crosslinkable by electron beam have been developed for high performance cables
Plastic Waste Utilization
SRI has successfully developed eco friendly ways for utilization of plastic waste in the following areas
Process Engineered Fuels (PEFs) from plastic wastes
Process engineered fuels with different calorific values have been developed from plastic and agri wastes, which may be used in boilers, furnaces and kilns.
Road Construction
Composition comprising bitumen, concrete and plastic wastes were developed for road construction having better properties than the conventional bituminous road.
Metal Coated cenospheres
A technology has been developed successfully for the value addition and waste utilization of fly ash material i.e. cenospheres for EMI shielding by the coating of cenospheres.
