Advantages and Applications of Medical Grade Tubing
Medical tubing is an integral part of the equipment that transports fluids into and out of the body. Multiple chambers are commonly found in these medical tubes, which are small and sophisticated bespoke plastic extrusions that allow diverse fluids and medications to be conveyed through the same narrow plastic tube.
Medical grade tubing offers several benefits, including flexibility, durability, and cost-effectiveness, which have promoted its wide-scale use in the production of medical equipment.
Abrasion protection, medicine administration, intravenous (IV) tubing, dialysis tubing, catheters, peristaltic pumps, gas supply, fume evacuation, feeding tubes, and other medical applications utilize medical grade tubing. End-use applications such as medical, biopharmaceutical, and life sciences, as well as clinical testing, employ this tubing.
Extruded medical tubing can be made from a variety of materials, including fluoropolymers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), silicone, and thermoplastics.
In the healthcare industry, plastic and silicone tubing are employed in a range of daily activities. From silicone tubing used in catheters to X-Ray contrast hosing, they provide the equipment needed for fluid motions, transfers, suctions, and other applications.
Silicone may be made with a variety of properties, including variable amounts of hardness depending on the use.
Fluids of various types, ranging from IV fluids and blood to plasma, must pass through them.
For a substance to be deemed as a medical grade silicone, it must pass a series of tests and meet certain criteria. These procedures and regulations guarantee that the substance is safe and suitable for medical usage.
As per BIS Research, the global medical grade tubing market report highlights that the market is expected to reach $6,255.9 million by the end of 2030. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.70% during the forecast period 2021–2030.
What distinguishes a medical grade material?
Biocompatibility is one of the most important variables to consider when choosing a material for medical applications. The word “biocompatibility” refers to a product’s characteristics that must be physiologically suitable and not react with other substances or living tissue.
Since many medical applications need materials to come in contact with human flesh, these materials are tested for biocompatibility to receive a medical grade designation.
When creating medical equipment, why is patient safety a crucial priority?
Since polymer manufacturing companies seek to decrease and remove polymerization residues, material selection is an important part of manufacturing safe medical equipment. Silicone has proven to be the most efficient medical-grade sealing material.
Companies offer silicone parts and seals for medical-grade equipment such as O-rings, gaskets, face seals, housing seals, and filter seals. Medical grade elastomers are utilized to assure patient and application safety. Due to their high chemical resistance, high heat resistance, and low gas penetration, these materials are sturdy and reliable for any medical application.
Medical grade materials are classified using a variety of tests.
For instance, to successfully determine whether a chemical may be classified as medical grade, several rounds of testing must be done. United States Pharmacopeia (USP) testing is used to assess biological reactions to elastomers, plastics, and other polymeric materials that may come into contact with human skin.
This sort of testing corresponds to the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention’s (USP) requirements for food components, dietary supplements, medicines, and medical products.
The U.S. FDA oversees enforcing these regulations, which are applied in over 140 countries. Another way of evaluating medical-grade material is ISO 10993. This test adheres to the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) guidelines, which guarantees that materials and goods are fit for their intended purpose.
As these materials are utilized in a range of difficult and challenging applications, it is vital to ensure that they are safe and up to the task.
Medical tubing manufacturers must adhere to stringent regulatory guidelines to assure the safety and efficacy of their products. From breathing apparatuses and IVs to laboratory equipment, medical rubber and silicone tubing may be found in a variety of medical devices.
Silicone is appropriate for medical purposes since a curing procedure eliminates potentially hazardous plasticizers. Silicone tubing for medical use is versatile, easy to sterilize, and biocompatible.
Advantages of Medical Grade Rubber and Silicone Tubing
Medical grade rubber and silicone tubing have several advantages when constructed with the correct knowledge, including:
- Available in different grade options: FDA Grade, Class VI Grade, and Platinum Cure Grade are all silicone tube grades. These alternatives provide more options when it comes to selecting the right product. Platinum Cure Grade tubing, for instance, is extremely robust and widely used in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.
- Biocompatible: Many forms of medical equipment must be inserted directly into a patient’s body, which necessitates biocompatibility to limit the chance of consequences. Silicone is an ideal synthetic option for the approximately three million persons in the U.S. that are sensitive to natural rubber latex.
- Clear: When medical tubing is used in applications like IVs and blood draining, the material clarity makes it simpler for medical practitioners to monitor the flow of fluid. Silicone has high natural transparency; however, it may also be modified with colors if needed.
- Chemically inert, odorless, and tasteless: Medical grade rubber and silicone tubing does not react with the materials it comes into contact with owing to its characteristics such as being chemically inert, odorless, and tasteless, substantially increasing its flexibility. It’s perfect for delivering any form of medication, oxygen, or food.
- Compatible with multiple sterilization processes: Sterilization is often required in the medical business to prevent contamination and maintain patient safety. Rubber tubing can withstand a variety of sterilizing methods, such as steam autoclaving and dry heat.
Applications of Tubes
Medical-grade silicone and rubber tubing have a wide range of applications. The following are some examples of frequent applications:
- Anesthesiology and respiratory equipment
- Biopharmaceutical laboratory equipment and processing
- Cell and tissue culture systems
- Dialysis
- IVs and catheters
- Management and drainage of blood and fluids
- Oxygen transfer
- Peristaltic pumps
- Surgical drains
Conclusion
Considering medical tubing may be used for so many different applications, it’s crucial to consider the required features of the tubing when choosing the best solution.
Tubing for internal human interaction, for instance, may need to be flexible, but tubing for laboratory equipment may need to be stiffer. To guarantee that all criteria are satisfied, the right medical-grade silicone tubing provider will be able to deliver tubing in several sizes, styles, and lengths.
