PVC has many unique properties that make it the ideal material for a number of medical devices and components. In particular, flexible extrusion compounds are increasingly being employed in the pharmaceutical industry, owing to their sterility, safety, flexibility, durability and cost-effectiveness.
Let’s look at some of the reasons why these compounds are so effective in medical applications.
Biocompatible and Safe
When you manufacture components for medical devices, you need to ensure that the material is biocompatible, meaning it can interact with biological systems without inadvertently causing adverse effects.
Medical devices that come into direct contact with the human body need to have this characteristic to avoid toxic reactions, which could exacerbate medical conditions. PVC is biocompatible and can be tailored to be non-toxic, non-allergenic, and can also be made completely free from any harmful additives.
Here at IPC, we have high safety and sustainability standards for our PVC manufacturing to ensure that material manufactured for medical applications is made with safe raw materials.
Moreover, PVC is excellent at resisting microbial growth, thereby reducing the risk of infection transfer. This makes it an ideal material for components such as catheters and IV tubes.
Flexible and Durable
PVC is perfect for the medical industry as it can be formulated to provide exactly the right level of flexibility while still maintaining unmatched durability. This material can stay flexible despite temperature changes and can resist cracking or hardening, making it a great option for devices that require bending, twisting, or regular manipulation.
Whether you’re talking about tubing or bags, the benefit of PVC is that it can withstand repeated handling, sterilisation and transport without compromising its form or functionality.
Transparency
Many medical devices require components to be made from transparent material. Flexible PVC extrusion compounds make this possible, allowing medical practitioners to visually monitor fluids such as blood, saline, or medications, detect air bubbles, and also detect contaminants in real time.
Transparency is particularly important when it comes to IV tubing, infusion pumps, respiratory masks, and blood bags to ensure patients are safely treated.
Can Withstand Chemicals and Sterilisation
Any medical device needs to be made from materials that can withstand constant chemical cleaning and sterilisation.
PVC compounds are perfect for this because PVC is the most compatible plastic to be in direct contact with blood. They are also highly resistant to chemicals by nature, making them capable of withstanding regular disinfectants and cleaning agents. This helps maintain the integrity of the medical device during use, sterilisation and storage. [SS4]
Whether you’re radiating the PVC with gamma rays or you’re using ethylene oxide or autoclaving to sterilise it, you can rest assured that your flexible PVC compound won’t be compromised in either its mechanical or physical properties.
If you need PVC for your medical apparatus and are looking for a reliable flexible extrusion compound manufacturer, contact IPC today. We have a wide range of PVC compounds and can tailor them to your specifications.
