Medical Tubing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Catheters, Drug Delivery Systems), By Polymer (Polyolefins, Polycarbonates, Silicone), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025

Industry Insights

The global medical tubing market size was valued at USD 5.96 billion in 2017 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2018 to 2025. Growing applications of medical tubing in various medical devices, such as catheters, disposable medical equipment, and diagnostic equipment, are expected to drive the market demand over the coming years. Plastic is the most preferred material in the manufacturing of medical devices on account of its properties, such as higher tensile & impact strength, chemical resistance.

High penetration of minimally invasive and single-use devices in the healthcare industry and rise in the demand for high value-added products, such as cystoscopies, tracheostomy tubes, catheters, and endotracheal tubes, also augmented the demand for on plastics. As a result, numerous specialty plastics manufacturers, such as Arkema AG, Mitsui Chemicals, BASF SE, Eastman Chemical Company, and Solvay, have flourished in the plastics manufacturing industry. Polymer materials development in medical applications is accelerating at a rapid pace. For instance, in angioplasty procedures, flexible plastic tubes are replacing metal tubes to support damaged artery walls.

Polymer materials are being used in a variety of equipment, such as intravenous tubing, hemodialysis tubing, artery catheters, and angioplasty catheters. Various polymers, such as polycarbonate and polyamide, are considered as raw materials and are extruded using relevant extrusion methods including injection molding, blow molding, and others for developing consumer-specific medical-grade tubes. Rising focus on healthcare infrastructure development coupled with increased production of high-quality devices is expected to drive the demand for the biopharmaceutical laboratory equipment, particularly in North America and Asia Pacific.

Significant capital investment in the healthcare sector and rise the number of patients requiring medical care under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are driving the market in U.S. The market is also expected to witness tremendous growth in emerging economies on account of increasing ageing population. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), one-third of the global health expenditures are expected to be contributed by the emerging economies by 2022. Supportive initiatives are expected to provide significant business opportunities for the surgical instrument and disposable devices manufacturers in the coming years.

Polymer Insights

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is one of the most widely used polymer in the pre-sterilized single-use applications. It is also used in applications, such as containers for blood, catheters, dialysis tube, feeding tube, and others. Polyethylene (PE) is the second-largest polymer preferred in various applications as it is resistant to chemicals and weighs 30% lighter than PVC. It is preferred when the disposable devices are to comply with regulatory requirements.

However, the lesser transparency of PE than PVC may limit its usefulness in visual monitoring equipment. PVC and PE have a wide range of surface hardness, high tear, tensile strength and are also resistant to extreme temperatures and chemicals. Other polymers, such as silicone, are also used in drug delivery systems as they possess a high degree of biocompatibility and flexibility.

Application Insights

Single-use or disposable devices include various drug delivery devices, such as intravascular catheters, anesthesia disposable, disposable nebulizers, inhalation products, surgical instruments, renal therapy devices, and intravenous access components. Growing awareness about the hospital-acquired infections and concerns related to the spread of such infections are leading to the surge in demand for single-use devices.

Increasing number of joint ventures between various companies in the medical devices market is also improving the reach of disposable products across the globe, thereby boosting the medical tubing market growth. Demand for flexible, disposable, and biocompatibility plastics, such as Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), is increasing in applications including surgical pins, orthopedic devices, and stitches.

Regional Insights

North America and Asia Pacific are the most attractive regions for the product manufacturers. North America is a mature market while the developing economies in Asia Pacific are expected to flourish with tremendous growth opportunities led by China and India. High product demand in North America was driven by U.S. As of 2017, North America remained the largest regional market and is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period.

As of 2016, according to the International Trade Administration, there are more than 6,500 medical device manufacturers in U.S. The medical device market in the country is diversified and produces a wide variety of products for diagnostic and treatment purposes. Some of the major manufacturers in North America are BiomericsATL; Rose Medical Center; Degania Silicone, Inc.; Alpha Medical Instruments, LLC; Ribbel International Limited; and Confluent Medical Technologies.

Product demand in Asia Pacific is mainly driven by Japan and China, which accounted for more than 60% of the Asia Pacific market in the past. China is one of the fastest-growing medical devices market in the world and hence it is an attractive destination for the product manufacturers. Rise the healthcare expenditure and increasing emphasis by the government on healthcare development are expected contribute toward the market demand.

Medical Tubing Market Share Insights

The presence of dominant companies, such as Spectrum Plastics Group, Saint Gobain, Freudenberg & Co.KG, TE Connectivity Ltd, and Hitachi, Ltd., illustrate the high competition in the market. Most of these companies are expanding their product portfolio and technological expertise as part of their growth strategies, which helps them gain competitive edge over their industry rivals.

Advances in the medical device manufacturing, such as development of minimally invasive devices and application-specific devices, are some of the factors influencing the plastic manufacturers. This has resulted in manufacturers integrating backward across the value chain and obtaining the necessary extrusion capabilities to develop plastics in line with the customer requirements. Manufacturers, such as Spectrum Plastics Group; Polyzen, Inc.; and Teel Plastics, Inc., possess a wide variety of extrusion capabilities.

Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue and volume growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global medical tubing market report on the basis of polymer, application, and region:

• Polymer Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Silicone

  • Polyolefins

  • Polyvinyl Chloride

  • Polycarbonates

  • Fluoropolymers

  • Others

• Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Bulk Disposable Tubing

  • Drug Delivery Systems

  • Catheters

  • Biopharmaceutical Laboratory Equipment

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Russia

    • Spain

    • Italy

    • Netherlands

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Australia

    • Singapore

    • South Korea

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa