Fluorochemistries are Essential Technology for America’s Medical Devices

Chuck Chaitovitz
Vice President, Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Published

May 20, 2024

Americans need access to reliable medical equipment. Millions of Americans depend on medical devices like pacemakers and inhalers and benefit from cutting-edge research on advanced pharmaceuticals. 

Fluorochemistries, including many PFAS chemistries, are essential components in our healthcare systems, safely providing medical practitioners with the equipment they need to give patients top-of-the-line care. Fluorochemistries possess a unique combination of properties that make them durable, efficient, versatile, reliable, and ultimately irreplaceable in the products they enable. From guide wires, filters, pumps, ventilators, implants, and personal protective equipment, fluorochemistries make these devices more durable and effective, reducing the risk of equipment failures, infections, and unnecessary medical procedures.

Medical Devices and Supplies: Fluorochemistries extend the lifetime and efficacy of medical implants like pacemakers and ensure the successful delivery of medicines in devices like meter dose inhalers. They are also used to make low-friction and clot-resistant coatings for catheters to support patient safety and comfort. They’re even used in contact lenses, providing comfort and protection while ensuring oxygen can get through the lens to the eye. Additionally, fluorochemistries utilized in 3D printing supplement supply chain disruptions for critical personal protective equipment, ensuring Americans have consistent access to the gear they need. 
Pharmaceuticals: Fluorochemistries are also critical to the transport and distribution of vaccines and pharmaceuticals to reach Americans across the country, enabling widespread distribution through their applications in refrigeration systems, even in areas where traditional cooling infrastructure does not exist. They also help preserve cells used for research, increase drug efficacy, and extend the shelf life of many medications, making them an irreplaceable technology for advanced medical and pharmaceutical research.

Efforts to ban or severely restrict the availability of fluorochemistries are occurring around the country and around the world, risking access to safe, effective compounds that are critical to many of the critical medical devices that save lives and keep us healthy.    

To protect access to fluorochemistries used in medical devices and other applications, the Chamber’s Essential Chemistry for America initiative is working to educate policymakers and business leaders about the role of innovative fluorochemistries and advocate for a policy environment that ensures access to the fluorochemistries essential for the medical applications we rely on. 