As an important device in clinical treatment, the safety and functionality of medical catheters are crucial.

With the excellent properties of macromolecular colorants, such as migration resistance, stable chemical properties and intentional biocompatibility, they gradually replace traditional small molecule dyes in the field of medical catheters and become key materials for medical catheter identification and functional optimization.

Application background and challenges

In previous applications, it was found that traditional colorants are easy to migrate or precipitate in medical catheters, resulting in patient allergies or affecting the compatibility between drugs. In addition, since catheters need to be in contact with body fluids for a long time and withstand high-temperature sterilization, many ordinary dyes are very easy to degrade and discolor. However, macromolecular colorants stand out in solving these problems with their high molecular weight structure.

Technical application examples

Migration resistance and biosafety

A research team has developed a macromolecular colorant based on a polyester skeleton, which embeds the chromogen into the polymer chain through covalent bonds. Experiments show that the migration rate of the colorant in simulated body fluids (37°C, 30 days) is less than 0.1%, which is much better than traditional dyes (>5%). Cytotoxicity tests (ISO 10993-5) show that it meets the biosafety requirements of medical devices.

High temperature sterilization stability

In the production of silicone catheters, macromolecular colorants still maintain color stability (ΔE<1.5) after multiple high temperature sterilizations, while traditional azo dyes fade significantly (ΔE>5). This feature significantly improves the color consistency of catheter batches and avoids clinical misuse due to color difference.

Functional identification

By customizing macromolecular colorants of different colors, the functional zoning of catheters can be identified. For example:

Multi-lumen catheters: Different lumens are distinguished by color to avoid drug cross-contamination.

X-ray imaging catheters: Iodine-containing macromolecular colorants enhance the development while avoiding the potential toxicity of small molecule developers.

Industry impact and future trends

The field of medical catheters has moved towards a safer development due to the use of macromolecular colorants. In the near future, with the introduction of functional monomers (such as antibacterial and anticoagulant groups), colorants may shift from passive identification to active participation in device performance optimization. The successful application of macromolecular colorants in the field of medical catheters reflects the deep integration of material science and medical needs. Its anti-migration, sterilization resistance and functionalization potential provide new ideas for the safety and intelligence of medical devices.