Manufacturers who specialize in medical-grade tubing have to comply with strict regulations to ensure the safety and effectiveness of their products. Silicone tubing and medical rubber are found in various medical devices, ranging from respirators and IVs to lab equipment.
Curing removes potentially harmful plasticizers silicone, which makes it an excellent material for medical uses. The medical-grade tubing made of silicone is pliable, easy to sterilize and biocompatible.
Advantages
When manufactured with the proper expertise, medical-grade rubber and silicone tubing has many benefits, such as:
- Available in various grades: Grades of silicone tubing include FDA Grade, Class VI Grade Platinum Cure Grade. These choices give you more options when selecting the appropriate tubing grade. Platinum Cure Grade tubing, for example, is solid and commonly utilized in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
- Biocompatibility: Many types of medical equipment are required to be put directly into a patient’s body, and it is crucial that the equipment is biocompatible to decrease the chance of developing complications. Because approximately 3 million individuals within the U.S. are allergic to natural rubber latex, silicone can be an excellent synthetic substitute.
- Clear: Material clarity makes it easier for medical professionals to observe the flow of fluids when medical tubing is utilized in situations like IVs and blood drains. Silicone is an excellent source of transparency that is natural. However, it is also able to be customized by using different colors if you want.
- Chemically impervious, non-odorless, and tasteless: These properties ensure that medical-grade silicone and tubing won’t interact with any other materials it comes in contact with, which significantly enhances its flexibility. It is perfect for administering any medicine, oxygen, or food items.
- Compatible with multiple sterilization methods: The medical industry requires regular sterilization to avoid patient safety risks and eliminate contamination. Rubber tubing can withstand various sterilization procedures that include steam autoclaving, as well as dry heat.
- Extreme resistance to temperature: Rubber’s ability to endure extreme temperatures makes it perfect for use in medical equipment since medical professionals can quickly disinfect and sterilize it with heating-related processes. In reality, silicone tubing can withstand temperatures as high as 440° F.
Alongside the advantages mentioned earlier, they also possess an extremely beneficial feature. Their silicone-oxygen bonds give them molecular stability, which provides a high degree of bio-durability. This implies that silicone tubing is especially suitable for applications that require constant contact with the skin or bodily fluids, like catheter tubing. Silicone remains flexible even without the addition of additives, a feature that improves its biocompatibility.
Applications of Hoses and Tubes
Medical grade silicone and rubber tubing are incredibly versatile. Some common applications include:
- 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
Since there’s an array of potential possibilities for medical tubing, it is essential to consider the intended properties of the tubing to choose the most suitable choice. For instance, tubing designed for human contact with the inside could require flexibility as tubing used for lab equipment could require more rigid. A medical-grade silicone tubing provider can provide tubing of a variety of sizes, styles, lengths, and styles to ensure that all specifications are satisfied.
Medical Grade Silicone Tubing from Elastostar
Elastostar is proud to offer the highest quality components and rubber parts in the industry. We have been a trusted manufacturer of custom and stock tubing and sealing parts for the food, medical, pharmaceutical and dental industries.
Our advanced facilities and experienced experts can create FDA medical-, medical and surgical-grade tubing and other top-quality products. All the products made of various rubber-based materials, including silicon rubber. To find out more about our top Silicone Rubber products and solutions, please get in touch with us now or request a quote today.
