Medical PC: A Safer Material for Patients
2026. 07. 01
The modern medical industry is evolving rapidly. As populations age and chronic diseases become more prevalent, demand for healthcare continues to grow. At the same time, the settings for diagnosis and treatment are expanding beyond hospitals into everyday life and the home.
The widespread adoption of disposable medical devices, increasingly sophisticated drug delivery devices, and the growing popularity of beauty and healthcare devices are further diversifying both the types of medical devices available and the environments in which they are used more than ever before.
As these trends continue, the materials used in medical devices are also evolving. As medical devices come into more frequent contact with the human body and are used more widely, the performance and safety standards required of their materials become increasingly important.
At the center of this change are medical plastics. By replacing traditional materials such as metal and glass, medical plastics enable lightweight designs and the production of complex geometries, ultimately becoming a key material supporting innovation in medical devices.
Among them, polycarbonate(PC) is widely applied across a variety of medical devices due to its excellent impact resistance, outstanding dimensional stability, and glass-like transparency. From monitoring the remaining volume of medication in a syringe and detecting air bubbles in IV fluids to observing the condition of blood flowing through a dialysis circuit, transparent materials serve as the “eyes” of medical devices in healthcare settings.
However, these transparent medical components often come into direct contact with the human body, blood, and pharmaceuticals, and must undergo sterilization during the manufacturing process. As a result, medical materials are required to meet two essential criteria: they must be safe for contact with the human body, and they must maintain their performance and appearance even after sterilization. This is where the unique characteristics of transparent medical PC distinguish it from general PC.
In terms of fundamental mechanical properties—such as transparency, impact resistance, and stiffness—transparent medical PC does not differ significantly from general PC. The key distinction lies not in its physical properties, but in the fact that it has been officially validated as safe for use in contact with the human body. This very “proven safety” serves as the starting point for everything.
Polycarbonate is a transparent engineering plastic that offers glass-like light transmission, excellent impact resistance, and outstanding dimensional stability. Based on transparent PC resin, clear medical-grade PC is a specialized *grade designed to ensure biocompatibility and optimize sterilization stability. The term “medical” is not simply a marketing label—it signifies compliance with specific safety standards such as ISO 10993.
LG Chem’s medical PC offers four key advantages:
Together, these strengths provide LG Chem with differentiated competitiveness in the medical materials market.
As the medical industry continues to advance, LG Chem’s medical PC is expected to further expand its role as a trusted key material for medical applications.
*Grade: A product specification in which the same base material is engineered with different physical properties, additives, and processability depending on its intended application and performance requirements.
The first consideration when designing transparent medical components is safety. Components that come into contact with blood, pharmaceuticals, or the human body must pass ISO 10993 biocompatibility certification before they can be used in medical devices.
No matter how advanced a product’s design or functionality may be, commercialization is difficult unless the material itself has been verified for safety. This is why material safety is the starting point for medical component development.
The next key consideration is sterilization stability. The effects of sterilization vary depending on the sterilization method used. For example, components such as hemodialyzers and connectors that undergo gamma sterilization may experience yellowing of the material. In contrast, components such as syringes and insulin pens that are sterilized using high-temperature steam may be subject to deformation or deterioration in physical properties. In particular, materials with insufficient heat resistance may fail to maintain precise dimensions.
For this reason, maintaining both performance and appearance after sterilization is absolutely essential. The final requirement is transparency. Healthcare professionals visually inspect the remaining volume of medication in a syringe, air bubbles in an IV infusion, and the flow of blood to assess a patient’s condition. If the material becomes cloudy or discolored, observation accuracy may be reduced, potentially affecting safety in healthcare settings.
Ultimately, materials for transparent medical components must simultaneously provide biocompatibility, sterilization stability, and transparency. For this reason, medical materials are required to meet more stringent standards than general-purpose plastics, and this is precisely why transparent medical PC is gaining significant attention in the industry.
Applications for transparent medical PC are broadly classified into steam-resistant (including EtO) grades and gamma-resistant grades, depending on the sterilization method required for the medical component.
Products using steam-resistant grades include syringes, connectors, insulin pens, and LED masks. Syringes require high transparency and dimensional stability so that healthcare professionals can visually monitor the remaining volume of medication. Connectors serve as components that connect IV and drug delivery lines, enabling the stable transfer of various fluids. Insulin pens, which are repeatedly used as drug delivery devices, require precise dimensions and reliable performance. Steam-resistant grades are also used in skin-contact beauty and healthcare devices such as LED masks.
Representative applications for gamma-resistant grades include connectors and hemodialyzers. Because blood circulates directly through a hemodialyzer, the material must simultaneously ensure biocompatibility and maintain its transparency after sterilization. For connectors, the key requirement is to minimize yellowing while preserving transparency after gamma sterilization.
As these examples demonstrate, medical PC is more than simply a transparent plastic. By offering grades optimized for different sterilization methods and application environments, medical PC helps ensure the safety and reliability required for medical devices.
What is the difference between medical PC and general PC?
While medical PC and general PC share similar fundamental properties, such as transparency and impact resistance, medical-grade PC is a material that has been verified for safety in human contact applications through ISO 10993 biocompatibility evaluation. In addition, it is manufactured using raw materials and additives with confirmed biocompatibility for medical device applications. Another key difference is that medical PC is designed to withstand sterilization processes, including gamma irradiation and steam sterilization (including EtO), making it suitable for a wide range of medical applications.
Why are UV stabilizers not used in medical materials?
The use of UV stabilizers is not permitted in medical materials. Accordingly, LG Chem’s transparent medical PC formulations do not contain UV stabilizers. For components that come into direct contact with the human body, only additives with verified biocompatibility are used. This is a fundamental requirement for medical materials, where safety is the highest priority.
Can the same grade of medical PC be used for both gamma and steam sterilization?
No. Different grades are optimized for different sterilization methods. For applications such as hemodialyzers and connectors that undergo gamma sterilization, gamma-resistant grades designed to minimize yellowing after sterilization are recommended. For applications such as syringes and insulin pens that undergo high-temperature steam sterilization (including EtO), steam-resistant grades are recommended. Selecting the appropriate grade based on the sterilization process of the intended application is essential.
What are the main applications of transparent medical-grade PC?
One of the primary applications is hemodialyzers. Because these devices allow blood to circulate directly through their components, the material must provide both biocompatibility and maintain its transparency after sterilization. Transparent medical-grade PC has become a key material that meets these demanding requirements. In addition to hemodialyzers, transparent medical PC is widely used in a variety of medical devices and human-contact applications, including syringes, connectors, insulin pens, and LED beauty devices.
Medical materials are increasingly required to deliver high levels of performance by simultaneously meeting the demands for biocompatibility, sterilization stability, and transparency. As a result, medical PC is becoming an increasingly important material that supports the reliability of medical devices, and its applications are expected to continue expanding across a wide range of medical devices and healthcare products.
Building on its medical PC solutions optimized for different medical device applications and sterilization environments, LG Chem will continue responding to the evolving needs of the global medical market. Through continuous technological innovation and quality advancement, the company aims to deliver greater value to customers while enhancing the competitiveness of their products.
※ Some images in this content were generated using AI.
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