Medical Foam

Medical Foam

Medical foam is specifically fabricated foam material for use in sterile, medical, surgical and personal care environments. It is typically soft and conformable, providing an oxygen-permeable non-toxic material that does not irritate the skin. Examples of uses for medical foam include bandages, positioning supports, custom orthotics, patches and wound dressings, insulation and more. Foam is a durable and conformable polymer based material and can be manipulated in terms of porosity, compressibility and size. It is a widely used material and in either of its two main types of open cell foam form or closed cell foam form, foam padding is typically available from suppliers in buns, rolls or sheets. The stock supply is then fabricated using foam cutting processes such as die cutting, hot wire cutting and water jet cutting to meet specific requirements. Non-toxic adhesives can also be used if necessary to join foam shapes and components. Medical foam can also be processed using a molding operation to obtain odd or complex shapes. Foam padding typically varies in thickness, width, length, softness and density according to consumer requirements and therefore can be processed to meet a wide range of medical needs. In most medical foam applications, the foam is required to be extremely soft and elastic and yet maintain elements of strength and cohesion. It is used for many protective, positioning and absorbent purposes.

Semi rigid foam is used in applications such as bolstering supports for head, neck, back, leg and ankles requiring immobilization or leverage. These foam supports can be fabricated in a wide range of shapes including triangle wedge, cylindrical bolster, pillow supports, donut seating and car seat foam cushions. Other less dense foam materials are more commonly used in bandages and wound dressings or surgical pads and are required to be absorbent and non-adhering. Some manufacturers are able to incorporate active medical ingredients such as anti-microbials into the foam fabrication process in order to make the material more suitable for its application. Foam is also an ideal bacterial barrier and is useful in allowing wounds to heal while preventing exposure to unwanted elements. Less specific medical foam applications include mattress pads, wheelchair cushions, surgical drapes and barriers. Foam can also be used in the safe storage and transportation of medical and surgical instruments as it is a common packaging material. It can be constructed to fit snugly around delicate and expensive medical instruments and prevent both damage and contamination.