Custom compound helps comfort sleep disorder
A
RTP Company product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Aug 2, 2002
In response to customer appeals for a product that would effectively treat obstructive sleep apnea, TAGA Medical Technologies turned to RTP Company for help.
In response to customer appeals for a product that would effectively treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Tim and Gary Austin of TAGA Medical Technologies turned to custom compounder RTP Company for help in making their design a reality.
OSA is a condition that affects an estimated 18 million Americans.
While asleep, OSA patients experience a collapse of soft tissue in the back of the throat, blocking respiration and stimulating the brain to cause frequent waking.
If left untreated, it can lead to such serious illnesses as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, memory problems and depression.
Previous treatments for OSA patients included the use of continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) collapse.
The problem with CPAP methods however, is that lack of moist air often dehydrated tissue, leading to sinus problems.
To solve this problem, TAGA Medical developed the Velocity Passover humidifier which provides cool, moist air to the patient during treatment.
Using a proprietary set of baffles, the humidifier permits the least pressure drop and the greatest relative humidity gain of all competitive models recently tested in an independent lab.
To fabricate the baffle system in plastic, TAGA Medical worked with RTP Company and molder Elyria Plastics.
RTP Company engineers recommended a customized RTP 300 Series polycarbonate compound in transparent blue.
The compound was formulated with both FDA compliant resin and pigments, and incorporated high flow and lubrication additives.
A notched Izod impact strength to 801J/m and a flexural modulus of 2343MPa provided the strength and rigidity necessary for a durable, functional housing.
Elyria Plastics reviewed the design and implemented a hot runner system, ensuring part-to-part consistency in the family mould.
Because the humidifiers need to be portable, strength and impact resistance were a major requirement of the material selected.
Walls as thin as 1.27mm demanded lubricity and superior flow properties.
Since the housing functions as a water reservoir, transparency allows the patient to see when a refill is required.
Additionally, the final product had to be compliant with Class 2 FDA 510K standards.
Tim Austin noted, "RTP Company quickly recognized our growth potential and responded with small batches of material customized to our needs.
This was service we hadn't seen from other companies".
Austin continued, "This was really key to allowing us to steadily grow our production rate to market demands".
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