Cyclic olefin copolymer picked for touchscreen wearable insulin pumps

Wearable insulin delivery pumps from Tandem Diabetes Care, a California-based medical device manufacturer of touchscreen insulin pumps, use disposable cartridges moulded of Topas 8007S-04 cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) from Polyplastics USA.

The t:slim X2 insulin pump lets users make treatment decisions without pricking their finger, while the t:flex insulin pump has an insulin capacity of up to 480 units, providing up to three days of insulin delivery.

The pumps carry precision-moulded disposable cartridges which consist of several parts moulded of Topas 8007S-04. The components are manufactured under strict performance qualifications including highly challenging tolerance levels and multi-cavity tooling.

They are produced in complex geometries and tight tolerances of less than 0.025 mm. The medical grade material was selected over other thermoplastics due to its purity, drug compatibility, biocompatibility, and dimensional stability. The drug-contact material delivers “consistent, reproducible performance and facilitates miniaturisation of drug delivery systems”, claims Polyplastics. Topas COC can also be moulded with zero draft for precision of drug delivery.

Plastikos, a custom injection moulder, and its sister mould making company, Micro Mold, worked closely with Tandem to develop the moulds and manufacture the cartridge parts. Plastikos is a medical moulder of precision COC components for drug delivery devices, with shipments of millions of parts during the past year.

Topas COC offers a non-ionic, minimally reactive surface. This non-polar substrate does not promote adsorption, denaturation, aggregation, or precipitation. With very low leachables and extractables, glass-clear Topas medical polymer preserves long-term drug purity, enabling better performance and patient safety, according to its maker.