Calling it an important milestone in silicone science that will open new avenues of innovation for medical device designers, Nusil (Carpinteria, CA) has introduced a material with a tensile strength up to 50% greater than existing silicone elastomers on the market. The line of High Strength Silicones also features a combination of properties that make the materials uniquely soft and pliable, according to the company.

The new platinum-cure silicone elastomers provide device and component manufacturers with a super strong, low durometer, high elongation material without compromising hysteresis or tensile set, says NuSil. In particular, the company believes the materials will enable the production of thinner, stronger and more resilient catheter balloons.

The High Strength Silicones also bridge the gap in strength that has historically prevented manufacturers from upgrading to silicone from latex in high-use devices such as mechanical pumps. NuSil says that this new technology platform provides manufacturers with a super strong tubing alternative that has all of the advantages of silicone—durability, translucency and biocompatibility—without the risk of causing latex-related allergies.

"I believe that NuSil's High Strength Silicone platform is one of the more important innovations in silicone science in the past few decades," said Jim Lambert, PhD, NuSil's Director of Research and Development for Life Sciences, in a prepared statement. "I'm truly proud of our development team for pushing the boundaries of what seemed chemically and physically possible, and for delivering products that will enable our customers to innovate beyond the conventional performance limitations of silicone elastomers."

NuSil will showcase the High Strength Silicones at Compamed in Düsseldorf, Germany, next week. Co-located with Medica, the largest medical technology trade show in the world, Compamed runs from Nov. 16 to 19 at Messe Düsseldorf.