The History of Silicone in Medical Applications
Chemists first discovered silicon, the naturally occurring element that forms the basis for silicone, in the early 1800s. Just over a century later, in the 1940s, silicone materials became commercialized and companies such as Dow Corning and General Electric were discovering the full extent of their properties.
A key factor in silicone’s rise to popularity was its ability to adapt and succeed in a highly diverse range of applications. Silicone has been used in life sciences, aerospace/defense, electrical, and industrial applications since the 1960s. In medical manufacturing, the material is suitable for use in a broad variety of components, from valves and tubing to long- and short-term implantable devices, and far beyond. It is often used as the external jacketing on medical wire and cable for hospital equipment, surgical tools, patient monitoring systems, imaging and diagnostic instruments, and other medical devices.
Although additional processing and potential costly reapplication of parylene is required for silicone to meet stringent FDA and biocompatibility requirements, the core ingredients are abundant and easy to manipulate. This accessibility, combined with silicone’s adaptability, makes it an obvious choice for use in medical manufacturing. When the material is processed to medical-grade standards, it results in silicone products that are biocompatible, hypoallergenic, flexible, and durable—all necessary characteristics for use in health care environments.
