C.R. Bard, Inc. is a leading multinational developer, manufacturer, and marketer

Question

C.R. Bard, Inc. is a leading multinational developer, manufacturer, and marketer of innovative, life-enhancing medical technologies in the fields of vascular, urology, oncology, and surgical specialties For more than 100 years, C. R. Bard, Inc. has been developing innovative medical devices that meet the needs of healthcare professionals and patients. From a one man shop in 1907 to a global leader in the medical device industry the company is committed to enhancing the lives of people around the world. Bard's four divisions focus their efforts around the disease areas of: Vascular Urology Oncology Surgical Specialties The company is headquartered in northern New Jersey and has approximately 15,000 employees are committed to creating innovative, potentially life-saving medical technology products that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. - read more at https://www.crbard.com/ 1. Bard wants to acquire a bigger market share (i.e., sell more) of the catheter segment (the company's Flip-Flo catheter valve is shown above). They are interested in designing new valves to meet the increasing medical demand.

Explanation / Answer

a] Silicone rubber material would be the best for use in making catheters. Silicone is not only strong but also more biocompatible as compared to latex catheters. Silicone causes less cell death and s less likely to be encrusted with unwanted materials. It is also more resistant to bacterial colonization which is an extremely important property as secondary infection can complicate the already delicate health conditions of the patient.

b] Silicone rubber is an elastomer, that is, it is a rubber-like material with silicone as the major component. They are very unreactive and this makes it suitable for use as a component in making medical equipment like the catheter. Silicone rubber is resistant to extreme environments and temperatures from -67 degree F to 572 degrees F without losing its useful properties. It can be manufactured and shaped easily and is used widely -- ranging from industrial and medical to household products.

When in an uncured state, silicone rubber is a highly adhesive gel-like substance. It is cured, vulcanized or catalyzed to convert it into the soft, tensile substance we know it as.

So, for its highly stable and firm shape, it could be the most suitable material for making a catheter. Since a catheter needs to be inserted into the body through the soft tissues, it is important that there should not be any physical damage to the body tissues.

c] Silicone rubber is a soft yet highly strong and tensile material. It can be bent easily to give a suitable shape. Some mechanical properties like elongation creep, cyclic flexing, tear strength and compression set are highly suitable for using it to make catheters. It does not lose its initial shape and mechanical strength even under physical or chemical stress. While using it for making medical equipments like catheters, it can be altered or customized to suit the patients' physical requirements, if any.

Silicone rubber has almost all the properties required to use it for making catheters. It is soft and flexible yet has a high tensile strength; it prevents bacterial growth; it is hypoallergic, meaning it does not have allergic reactions with the body tissues and last but not the least, it does not lose any of its properties even under physical or chemical properties.

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