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Medical & Healthcare Silicone Solutions
Silicones are some of the most extensively bio-tested materials, used in the fabrication of medical devices including urological catheters, surgical incision drains and respiratory devices, as well as parts such as valves and o-rings. Silicones’ biocompatibility and biodurability make them an excellent material choice for applications that come into contact with our bodies. Silicone rubbers and elastomers are used to create various parts and can be extruded into tubing. Syringes and vials are coated with silicone fluids to provide lubrication, while needles and surgical instruments coated with silicone are less painful for patients. In wound care, silicones are used in gentle adhesives for dressings and scar management products.
Silicones can enhance the loading, stabilization and release of certain drugs. In transdermal patches, silicone adhesives help deliver drugs through the skin, avoiding the gastro-intestinal path. Silicones can also make creams, lotions and gels that contain pharmaceutical ingredients feel more pleasant and easier to apply – making it more likely that the patient will comply with their doctor’s instructions. They also play a role as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in anti-flatulence medicines. For all these applications, Dow Corning produces silicones according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) set by the guidelines of the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council (IPEC) in a dedicated facility registered by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Silicone tubing is used in the production and transfer of high-purity pharmaceutical and biological materials. Dow Corning is a unique tubing supplier with a vertically integrated supply chain. Producing both silicone elastomers and tubing at sites registered and audited by the United States FDA, we provide complete traceability from polymer compounding through tubing manufacturing – all under a quality system based on both ISO 9001:2000 and the critical principles of good manufacturing practices (GMP).
ONE BROAD RANGE. MANY CHOICES.
Innovation doesn’t always mean invention. Learn how
Dow Corning® QP1 brand products give medical device manufacturers and fabricators broader material choices.
DON’T FORGET YOUR MEDICINE
Dow Corning’s BIO-PSA adhesives help patients receive the right amount of drug at the right time.
PEACE OF MIND
Dow Corning’s vertically integrated supply chain helps deliver safety and security to customers who produce high-purity pharmaceuticals and biologics.
CREATING BRIGHTER FUTURES
Find out how silicone innovation has helped to create the world’s first universal self-adjustable glasses. Glasses that could help improve the lives – and prospects – of millions of children in the developing world.
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Dow Corning silicone materials and technologies.
Did you know?
Silicone is used to lubricate hypodermic needles, syringes and surgical instruments – making needle insertion easier and less painful!
Did you know?
Dow Corning implements GMP guidelines for each process involved in tubing production – from silicon metal to polymer compounding and final tubing extrusion.
Did you know?
Silicone hydrogel contact lenses greatly increase the amount of oxygen reaching the cornea!
Did you know?
Silicones play a key role in variable focus eyewear that will help improve access to vision correction in the developing world.
Healthcare Materials Policy
Silicone Elastomers for Medical Device Applications.
Silicones as Biomaterials
Biomaterials Science: An Introduction to Materials in Medicine.
Read the full article»
Extend Your Fabricating Options
® QP1 silicone rubbers widen your options for medical device fabrication.
For healthcare professionals, fabricators, and formulators: Silicone Biomaterials: History and Chemistry & Medical Applications of Silicones.
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