Emerging Industry of Medical-grade PCs Global Medical Market Expected to Generate $336 Billion in Revenue by 2025

China's medical device market reached RMB 164.4 billion in 2010, up 16.2% year-on-year. With the steady development of China's national economy and the continuous innovation of medical technology, the medical enterprise market has become one of the most rapidly developing markets. It is reported that the global medical plastics market revenue is expected to reach US$336 billion by 2025.

Medical devices can be segmented into in-vitro diagnostics, medical consumables, medical devices, and pharmaceutical equipment. Plastics are used in a large number of applications in medical devices due to their low cost, easy processing, light weight and toughness.

Then, PP, PE, PVC, ABS, PS, PC, TPE and other products in the field of plastics play a different importance in different medical device fields. About 25% of medical plastic products are PVC, mainly produced: blood bags, haemodialysis lines, breathing masks, oxygen tubes, etc.

PC is characterised by its high toughness, strength and resistance to steam sterilisation, characteristics that make it a preferred choice for haemodialysis filters, surgical tool handles and oxygen tanks; PC is also used in medical applications including needle-free injection systems, perfusion instruments, blood centrifuge bowls and plungers.

China's medical PC market is dominated by imports

The PC market in the domestic medical sector is currently dominated by imported brands, with Covestro, SABIC, Trinseo and Mitsubishi Chemical forming the top group in the medical PC market, with the four suppliers accounting for nearly 80% of the PC market in the Chinese medical sector. Among them, Covestro is the absolute leader in the medical-grade PC and food-grade PC product segments with a 40% market share. Industrial grade PC suppliers in the medical sector are more fragmented, with Trinseo, SABIC and Mitsubishi Chemical being the larger PC suppliers.

Medical plastics are an important part of medical polymer materials, and there is more room for development in China especially in the field of disposable polymer medical devices.

In recent years, the demand for high-end medical device R&D and innovative products has intensified. Wanhua Chemical adheres to its mission of "Chemistry for a better life! We focus on compliance and risk management in the medical industry, making healthcare an important strategic area and focusing on innovative applications of medical materials.

As a trusted partner in the domestic medical device industry, Wanhua Chemical has launched CLARNATE®MR156 PC, a high-end medical grade polycarbonate (PC) material with excellent physical, chemical and biological safety properties, for the preparation of end caps and housing parts of hemodialysis devices to protect patients' blood health.

Physical safety: high transparency and high strength make it easy for doctors to handle and observe and ensure the stability of the medical device.

Chemical safety: excellent chemical resistance to sterilisation methods such as gamma radiation and electron beam, effectively extending the life cycle of the device.

Biological safety: Biocompatibility certification, complete with tests for haemolysis, cytotoxicity, acute systemic toxicity, skin irritation and intradermal reactions. Compliant with GB/T 16886, ISO 10993 and YY/T 0806-2010 pharmaceutical industry standards to safeguard the purity of patients' blood.

In addition, CLARNATE® medical grade series PCs are also widely used in consumables and facilities such as blood oxygenators, infusion components, minimally invasive devices and medical equipment due to their excellent mechanical, optical and biocompatibility properties.

The global medical device market is growing steadily, and no country's companies are sitting on their laurels. To catch up with the sluggish growth of the international giants, they need both the east wind of their own policies and the hard strength of their own scientific and technological research and development. From these two perspectives, the Chinese market has the best chance of producing a world giant.