Originally Published EMDM
May/June 2004
Showcase
Tubing |
Catheter Production
A company manufactures catheter-production and tubing-processing equipment that provides catheter manufacturers worldwide with a cost-effective means to increase productivity. Products include testing and welding systems, balloon-forming machines, and tube-stretching machines.
Interface Associates
Catheter Tipping and Welding
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A company offers PIRF precision catheter-tipping and -welding equipment. A compact solid-state RF generator with a tipping and welding platform efficiently heats and forms thermoplastics into finished catheters. Unique mould designs precisely control plastic flow for increased yields and process repeatability.
Sebra Catheter Manufacturing Systems
Precision Tubular Materials
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Precision tubular raw materials are available in stainless steel, nickel alloy, Ti 3Al 2.5V, Ti 6Al 4V, and Ti 6Al 7V. ODs range from 0.3–38.10 mm. Applications include stents; orthopaedic implants; fracture-fixation nails, screws, and instruments; spine rods; and other medical devices.
Fine Tubes
PTCA Catheters
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A company offers a complete range of PTCA catheters and stent-delivery devices. The Casiopea stent-delivery device includes a balloon and automated folding system for safe crimping, radiopaque markers, and a short, soft tip for controlled progression.
Arthesys
Custom Extrusions
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Complex medical tubing and components are manufactured to precise dimensions and tight tolerances. Thermoplastics with hardness, colour, and radiopacity tailored to customer needs are extruded into single- and multilumen tubes, coextrusions, thin-walled tubes, and braided and reinforced tubing.
VistaMed Ltd.
Close-Tolerance Tubing
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High-precision, close-tolerance tubing is manufactured, including single-lumen, multilumen, coextruded, tapered, and heat-shrinkable models. The tubing can be produced from most thermoplastics with ODs ranging from 0.010 to 0.500 in. Design and prototyping services are also offered.
ExtruMed Inc.
In-Process Material Switch
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A company has perfected a process that allows a durometer to be changed “on the fly” with a single unitary silicone extrusion. This process is suitable for applications that require the durometer composition to vary along the length of a product that is unitary in construction. The company’s material-switch process caters to the continuing need in the medical industry for hybrid extrudable articles with a unitary construction that function in versatile, custom configurations.
Specialty Silicone Fabricators Inc.
Check Valves
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Modular plastic check valves incorporate a poppet design with double tapered O-rings to achieve a fast positive seal in ultralow pressure applications. With more than two million possible configurations, the valves offer maximum modularity and versatility. The design ensures zero leakage and precise opening pressures from 1¼10 to 20 psi.
Smart Products Inc.
Nylon Tubing Line
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A new line of tubing consists of polyamide and polyamide copolymer thermoplastic elastomers in nylon 6/6, 11, and 12 families. It includes Zytel, Grilamid, Vestamid, Rilsan, and Pebax. Primary markets are diagnostic and interventional catheters, and other applications requiring precise performance in the areas of strength, smoothness, and flexibility.
Zeus Industrial Products Inc.
Precision Thermoplastic Tubing
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Precisely extruded thermoplastic tubing is manufactured in prototype to production quantities. The company offers single- and multilumen tubing up to 0.200-in. OD. Bump striped, coextruded, and overextruded tubing is available. The company’s manufacturing facility is ISO 9002 compliant.
Dunn Industries Inc.
Miniature Polyimide Tubing
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Accurate and consistent polyimide tubing with dimensional stability in both standard and custom sizes is supplied. The tubing’s low concentricity ratios result in high burst strength, excellent kink resistance, and consistently high dielectric strength.
MicroLumen Inc.
High-Speed Cutters
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High-speed cutters are designed to measure and cut with precision and accuracy. Tubing is pulled from the reel by two rubber feed belts that can be adjusted to prevent material distortion. The cutting head of the WC601 series uses a fine blade and a rotary cutting action.
Eraser International Ltd.
Metal Tubing
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High-precision cold-drawn metal tubing is manufactured in a variety of materials such as stainless steel, gold, platinum and iridium alloys, titanium, phynox, and any other implantable alloy. OD ranges from 0.1 to 10 mm and wall thickness from 0.015 to 1 mm.
Medelec Minimeca S.A.
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A line of small and light automated hole-making systems for medical device manufacturers meets demands for space and operating efficiencies. The new Smart Driller LT and Smart Puncher LT perform computer-controlled repetitive hole-drilling or -punching operations for hole patterns of 6 in. or less.
Technical Innovations, Inc.
Glass Tooling
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Glass moulds and tipping and forming dies enable users to visualize the plastic forming process. The benefits of using glass tooling for catheter production include smooth inner surfaces and the ability to achieve tight tolerances along the length of the product and on sharp tapers. Inner diameters can be held to ±0.0002 in.
Farlow’s Scientific Glassblowing Inc.
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