The global healthcare market purchases about 39,000 tons of silicone products each year, which are used in a broad range of medical devices, specialized medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals.
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Silicones Enabling Healthcare
The medical device sector is highly innovative and ever-changing. In the US alone, more than 300,000 people are directly employed in medical technology. And in the pharmaceutical industry, more than 4 million people are employed globally.
Because silicones are well tolerated by the human skin and body, they help:
- Facilitate healing
- Improve the appearance of existing scars
- Reduce discomfort
- Reduce patient risk
- Enable life enhancing devices
Silicones for Prosthetics
Watch the video to see how silicones enhance comfort for prosthetics users.
Silicones are hydrophobic, hypoallergenic, and non-reactive with most chemicals. Their chemical stability, durability, and elastic nature can make silicones ideal for use in applications involving long-term implantation in the human body. They are known for biocompatibility and biodurability, due to their inherent chemical and thermal stability, low surface tension, and ease of sterilization. Silicones’ ability to seal, bond, cushion, insulate, and encapsulate electronic components facilitates the miniaturization of many innovative electronic medical device technologies.
Silicones in Medical Applications
Medical applications and infant care products with silicones can satisfy the highest quality standards demanded by health care professionals and their patients. Resistant to bacteria and readily sterilizable, silicones are excellent for sensitive applications, such as respiratory tubing and topical medications.
Silicones are used in many diverse medical applications including:
- Molds
- Tubing
- Impression molds in dental care
- Prosthetics
- Respirators
- Intravenous drug and transfusion delivery systems
- Ventilation masks
- Ventilation bags
- Hearing aids and cochlear implants
- Cardiac pacemakers
- Implantable pain management devices
- Wearable insulin pumps for continuous diabetes control
- Cooling caps for chemotherapy treatments
- Breathing tubes
- Catheters
- Medical adhesive applications
- Topical medications
- Anti-acid medications
