2 April 2019

How Silicone Transforms Medical Devices

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Silicone is a wonderfully flexible and versatile substance that has many uses in a wide range of business sectors. As it is hygienic and easy to clean, it has great suitability for use in medicine, and some of its other properties make it even more appealing for patient care.

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Tubing Options

The softness and silicone moulding options available today mean that tubing can be manufactured to satisfy a wide range of criteria, which is important when patients require catheters or to be intubated.

Developments in silicone technology also mean that varieties of soft silicone can deliver adhesive properties suitable for fixing tubing to skin without the use of adhesives. These gel pads, which are part of the technology, can fix tubes to skin easily in a number of places, providing maximum reliability without introducing other substances or chemicals.

Ease of Use

These developments in self-adhesive silicone medical devices mean that tubes or catheters can be fixed in place without lengthy preparation. As the skin is not traumatised by the use of adhesives, tubing can be fixed to the same areas over and over again. Soft gel silicone adhesion is comfortable and offers great security with minimum disruption to sensitive skin.

This type of soft gel medical device technology is not only secure, but if attached in the wrong position can easily be removed and put in a different place with minimal effort. Other advantages include the silicone being water- and shower-proof and breathable. It gives good access for inspecting the skin beneath. In addition, there is no residue or stickiness left behind, and removal itself is smooth and relatively painless. Emerging technology is playing a greater role in medicine. To learn more, see this report in The Guardian.

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If you are interested in the applications of silicone moulding for medical devices or other items, it would be worthwhile contacting a leading supplier in this field such as http://www.meadex.co.uk/silicone-mouldings to find out more about the possibilities available.

Silicone medical devices have many potential benefits to offer medicine and improve patient care. Those undergoing complex long-term treatments that involve the application of different devices daily and the collective trauma that that can cause to the skin will be particularly interested in the soft gel pad technology that offers high performance functionality with ease of use and kindness to skin.