Bayer MaterialScience LLC Contributes to Improved Durability, Portability of Inogen One® G2

Anaheim, CA, February 10, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Patients who need therapeutic oxygen may find it difficult to integrate necessary therapy into their lives using traditional stationary machines. Now they can breathe easier.

The Inogen One® G2 System, a second-generation portable oxygen concentrator, offers the independence of its predecessor – plus it’s 40 percent smaller, 25 percent lighter, with 20 percent more oxygen and a longer battery life.

In fact, the Inogen One G2 System weighs roughly 7 pounds and measures 10.7 inches x 3.9 inches x 9.5 inches. Designed to be a single solution for stationary, portable, and travel oxygen therapy, the Inogen One G2 recently was awarded a 2010 Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Gold Design of the Decade award in the category of Solution to a Developed World Social Problem.

The portable device’s shell is constructed of six separate components molded from Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s Bayblend® FR3010 polycarbonate/ acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) plastic. The external battery housing is also made of three components molded from the same polycarbonate blend.

“Durability is one of the most critical factors of our device,” said John Stump, mechanical design engineer, Inogen. “We have experimented with many different grades of resin to find the best quality molded parts for our application. Bayblend FR3010 plastic has outperformed all other materials tested.”

Bayblend FR3010 plastic is a flame-retardant blend of Makrolon® polycarbonate and ABS that is antimony, bromine and chlorine-free. The blend is noted for its combination of high impact strength and good balance of high heat distortion and mechanical performance. Compared with its predecessors Bayblend FR110 and FR2010, it also offers improved thermal stability and hydrolysis resistance.

“We worked closely with Inogen to meet their specific material needs for this second-generation portable oxygenator,” said Kevin Dunay, market leader, Consumer and Medical, Polycarbonates NAFTA, Bayer MaterialScience LLC. “We’re pleased to have played a role in development of the award-winning Inogen One G2.”

Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with approximately 14,300 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2009 sales of 7.5 billion euros. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Sustainability is central to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, excellence in corporate management, social responsibility and respect for the environment.

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