Spotlight on Tubing
Metal tubing
A supplier of metal tubing and fabrication services stocks 304 and 316 stainless steel in diameters ranging from 0.23 to 5.16 mm and in various hardnesses and wall thicknesses. The firm can provide smooth-bore ID finishing. Capabilities include burr-free cutting and grinding, swaging, bending, drilling, flaring, and needle assembly. Secondary operations include passivation, electropolishing, and PTFE surface treatments on inner and outer diameters. Custom tube drawing to customer specifications is provided. Popper & Sons Inc., New Hyde Park, NY, USA.
Sterilizable tubing
Fluoroplastic tubing in materials such as PTFE, FEP, and PFA is processed for use with surgical instruments that must withstand elevated sterilization temperatures. Multilumen, radiopaque, and other specialty tubing is routinely produced to customer specifications. 
The firm also manufactures ultrathin PEEK tubing that will not stretch when exposed to temperatures attaining 140°C. They can be supplied in a range of colours with outer diameters thinner than 1.0 mm. The ISO 9001–certified facility can provide test results showing the materials meet USP Class VI guidelines. IFK Isofluor Kunststoff GmbH, Neuss, Germany.
Stainless-steel tubing
More than 5 million feet of stainless-steel and nickel-based alloy tubing is kept in inventory by an ISO 9002—certified supplier. The company is accustomed to meeting OEMs' tight-tolerance specifications and provides resizing, shape drawing, burr-free cutting, finishing, and cleaning services. Fabrication capabilities include forming, grinding, welding, and machining by means of laser or electrical discharge. Swiss-type CNC machining is also offered. MicroGroup, Medway, MA, USA.
Screening tubes
Screening tubes made from polyamides, polypropylene, and PET are used in blood transfusion devices and blood bags. Diameters vary from 10 to 250 mm, and the tubes can be fabricated by means of heat cutting or ultrasonic welding, depending on customer specifications. 
If welded seams are unsuited for an application, woven tubing can be supplied. The USP Class VI materials are tested to ensure that they are free of cytotoxins and that pyrogen levels are within recommended guidelines. A supplier of filtration media, the company is certified to ISO 9001 and has Class 10,000 cleanrooms on-site. Sefar Inc., Rüschlikon, Switzerland.
Heat-shrink tubing
A company has expanded its inventory of thin-wall heat-shrink tubing to meet demand from the medical device and other industries. Almost 300 sizes with diameters starting at 0.010 in. and wall thicknesses from 0.0002 to 0.004 in. are available for immediate delivery. Custom heat-shrink tubing can be produced in almost any size. In addition to exceptionally slim, strong thin-walled heat-shrink tubing in transparent or colour formulations, the firm manufactures high-pressure angioplasty balloons and custom balloon catheter subassemblies. Advanced Polymers Inc., Salem, NH, USA.
Metal tubing, wires, and assemblies
Tubes, wires, profiled wires, and cable assemblies are produced in diameters ranging from 0.02 to 2.0 mm. Capabilities include wire drawing and straightening, profiling, laminating, cutting, forming, centreless tapering, and grinding. 
Laser welding and cutting, coiling, and micromechanical assembly under cleanroom conditions are also available. The company routinely processes stainless steel, nickel titanium, tungsten, cobalt alloys, and other materials for cardiological, surgical, neural, urological, endoscopic, and dental applications. Microfil Industries S.A., Cossonay-Gare, Switzerland.
Extrusion services
Biocompatible and organic elastomers, silicone, and fluoropolymers are extruded at facilities in Europe, North America, and Asia. Products include the Tygon family of branded application-specific tubing, OEM items, and labelled medical devices. R&D and regulatory support services are available. Norton Gessil, Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, France.
Pull-wound tubes and profiles
Reinforced-composite tubing and hollow profiles are produced by means of pull-winding, which reportedly minimizes wall thickness and weight while maintaining material stiffness and strength compared with conventional pultrusion technology. 
The process, which results in products that are 80% lighter than steel and 30% lighter than aluminium, is suited for the fabrication of medical devices where a high stiffness-to-weight ratio and nonmagnetic properties are desirable. A wide range of diameters and wall thicknesses and varied resins and reinforcement materials are available for applications such as resonance imaging tables, prostheses, and x-ray fixtures. The company's newest development is a resin containing an ingredient that inhibits the growth of bacteria, fungi, and mildew. Exel Oyj, Heinävaara, Finland.
Silicone tubing
Standard and custom sizes of silicone tubing are supplied to medical device OEMs in transparent, radiopaque, or colour formulations. Off-the-shelf products in inch or metric ranges are made from peroxide-cured material; platinum-cured tubing can be manufactured to order. The tubing is produced in nominal or close tolerances and precision cutting services are available. Recent bespoke projects include tubing segments for peristaltic pumps and cut pieces for IV cannulae. Degania Silicone Ltd., Degania Bet, Israel.
