Degradable Polymer Packaging for Low-Cost Diagnostics

低成本的诊断对于迅速查明疾病和及时进行干预和治疗至关重要。这在低收入和中等收入国家尤其重要，因为许多危及生命的疾病需要非常快速的决策，以确保给予正确的治疗。医疗器械需要保护性包装以维持其运行并在运输过程中提供安全的环境，但使用不可降解包装会带来潜在的局部废物和环境问题。自2019冠状病毒病大流行以来，医疗保健环境中使用的一次性塑料显然对环境产生了不利影响，给行业带来了转向更可持续包装的额外压力。该项目旨在开发一种可生物降解的聚合物材料，可作为一次性医疗器械的合适包装替代品，特别是用于诊断测试应用。该项目由Global Access Diagnostics赞助，后者是侧流测试和快速诊断测试领域的领先创新者。由于诊断测试的湿度敏感性，包装必须在一系列环境条件下长时间不透水蒸气。另一个关键要求是材料的机械完整性，因为它必须能够在储存和运输期间保护设备。聚（乙烯醇）是一种无毒，可生物降解的聚合物，具有良好的成膜能力，使其成为当前包装替代品的主要竞争对手。然而，其水溶性限制了其在包装工业中的应用。该项目旨在通过环状缩醛化反应用一系列醛对聚乙烯醇进行化学改性，以增加PVOH的疏水性，同时保持其水溶性。通过研究一系列醛，在不同的掺入水平下，水溶性应该能够被操纵以产生更耐水蒸气但在水中一段时间后将经历溶解的聚合物。开发一种水溶性、可生物降解的包装材料，能够保护诊断设备免受水分的影响，将有助于减少送往垃圾填埋场的包装废物的数量。

Low-cost diagnostics are essential for rapid identification of disease and to enable timely interventions and therapy. This is especially important in low and middle-income countries where many life-threatening conditions require very-fast decision making to ensure correct therapies are administered. Devices require protective packaging to maintain their operation and provide a safe environment during transport, but the use of non-degradable packaging presents a potential local waste and environment problem. Since the COVID-19 pandemic it has become apparent that single-use plastics used in health care settings are having a detrimental impact on the environment, placing additional pressure on industries to switch to more sustainable packaging. This project aims to develop a biodegradable polymeric material that could act as a suitable packaging alternative for single-use medical devices, in particular for diagnostic testing applications. The project is sponsored by Global Access Diagnostics, a leading innovator in lateral flow tests and rapid diagnostic tests. Due to the moisture sensitivity of diagnostic tests, the packaging must be impermeable to water vapour over an extended period in a range of environmental conditions. Another key requirement is the mechanical integrity of the material as it must be able to protect the device during storage and transport. Poly(vinyl alcohol) is a non-toxic, biodegradable polymer that shows good film forming ability making it a key competitor as a replacement for current packaging. However, its water-solubility limits its applications within the packaging industry. This project aims to chemically modify poly(vinyl alcohol) with a range of aldehydes, via a cyclic acetalization reaction, to increase the hydrophobicity of the PVOH whilst aiming to maintain its water solubility. By studying a range of aldehydes, at different levels of incorporation, the water solubility should be able to be manipulated to produce a polymer more resistant to water vapour but that will experience dissolution after a period in water. The development of a water-soluble, biodegradable packaging material, that is able to protect a diagnostic device from moisture, would help reduce the volume of packaging waste sent to landfill.