Kraiburg TPE, a global manufacturer of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) for a
variety of industries, offers its TPE compounds for hearing devices such as hearing
aid applications.
Hearing loss affects billions of people globally. The World Health Organization
(WHO) predicts that by 2050, hearing loss will be a problem for 2.5 billion people
worldwide.
While causes of hearing disability usually ranges from an aging population and
prenatal conditions to limited healthcare access, particularly in developing countries,
the WHO finds that unsafe listening practices will expose over a billion young adults
to permanent, preventable, hearing impairment.
Demand is increasing for hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive
technologies to allow these devices to improve hearing in a hearing-impaired
person.
Hearing aids can vary in size, special features and the way they are placed in the
ear. Performance of these devices depends largely on the design and material
used.
Thermolast H – adherence to safety standards
Kraiburg TPE’s Thermolast is the ideal material solution for healthcare and medical
applications as well as hearing devices. TPE compounds can be easily processed
by over molding or co-extrusion with most common thermoplastics, without requiring
additional adhesives, and allowing for a faster and more cost-effective processing.
The compound meets worldwide material requirements such as cytotoxicity
according to ISO 10993-5, GB/T 16886.5, REACH and RoHS Directive, and is free
of PVC, silicon, or latex. It can be sterilized at autoclave 121°C or by EtO.
The connector or TPE sealing will present a clean and sleek feel to the devices,
thanks to its haptics and soft touch surface characteristic for outer sealing. Other
characteristics of the TPE compounds that display good sealing performance
including excellent compression set and resealing properties. They are also
available in various hardness range, together with in-house pre-coloring options,
subject to specific project requirements.
The TPE compounds can be customized to meet the customer’s needs and
requirements.
Sustainability
Besides the materials for hearing aids application, Kraiburg TPE’s recent
sustainability innovations include a specially developed material solution for
automotive, consumer, and industry applications comprising post-consumer
recycled and post-industrial recycled content.
