Medical tubing makers ramp up production to meet demand for ventilators
Canadian Plastics
Plastics Processes COVID-19Graham Engineering Corp. is accelerating delivery of extruders to address the in production by medical tubing manufacturers.
A ventilator breathing circuit. Photo Credit: Graham Engineering Corp.
The COVID-19 crisis has generated a sharp upsurge in production capacity requirements for ventilator tubing, causing Graham Engineering Corp. to speed up processes for delivering extruders to the marketplace.
“In the past three weeks we have seen a strong uptick in orders and inquiries from businesses in North America and the Asia-Pacific looking to add capacity for ventilator tubing,” said David Madar, strategic medical market manager for York, Pa.-based Graham Engineering. “We are responding by validating available inventory, turning quotes instantly, and committing to extruder supply through accelerated delivery. Now more than ever we are here to support the needs of our medical device customers globally, at a time when demands on the medical supply chain have never been greater.”
The expanded production of ventilators is part of the worldwide increase in the manufacture of medical devices to fight COVID-19. Governments and companies are executing elaborate plans to deploy funding and resources for expanding or re-tooling existing operations. Ventilators are essential for supporting patients most severely impacted by the virus.
“In the U.S. alone, ventilator demand could be as high at ten to fifteen times pre-pandemic levels, significantly outpacing the strategic stockpile and current production capacity,” said Gina Haines, chief marketing officer of Graham Engineering.
Ventilator tubing kits are supplied to hospitals as single-use breathing circuits. A key component of the circuit is corrugated tubing, typically made of medical grade polyethylene or EVA. In adult kits, the standard ID of the tubing is 22 mm.
