Medical-grade silicones for general and advanced surgery

More and more patients need to be implanted with Cardiac Resynchronization devices (e.g. pacemakers), which quickly adjust abnormally high heart rhythms or other life-threatening cardiac anomalies. The silicones used in these critical and very precise devices must meet the strict requirements for long-term Implants to efficiently ensure patient safety over time.

Stents are designed to keep pathways open within the human body and often require additional biocompatible silicone coating to provide corrosion resistance and to decrease the amount of tissue ingrowth. Biomedical-grade silicones can also be used as drug eluting matrices to release specific APIs from the stent.

Silicone elastomers have been used for decades to manufacture catheters, which can be inserted into the body to remove or deliver fluids. The urethral catheter, which can be made entirely out of various medical-grade silicones, is an indwelling catheter that resides in the bladder and used to drain urine from the bladder to external bag. A tiny balloon at the end of the catheter is inflated with water to prevent the tube from sliding out of the body. Veinous catheters are another type catheter which are used to delivery medication or fluids into the body.

Neurostimulation devices are typically surgically implanted in the patient and function through thin wires or leads. Implant-grade Silbione™ Biomedical can be used for making gaskets, seals, adhesives, lead insulators, and drug delivery systems in active implantable neurostimulation or neuromodulation devices and applications, including cochlear implants and chronic pain treatment.

Fluid management in medical devices – such as tubing, catheters and valves – plays a critical role in healthcare and patient wellbeing. Elkem Silicones provides a standard and a self-lubricating range of Silbione™ liquid silicone rubber, enabling manufacturers to design and produce safe and reliable medical valves including needle-free access valves.