Medical Device Link.

Originally Published EMDM January/February 2005

Industry News

Empa Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research will use a maskless exposure system developed by Intelligent Micro Patterning to create implantable devices.

A transatlantic partnership may provide balm for some weary bones. Empa Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Thun, Switzerland) will use a photolithography system developed in the United States to fabricate implantable devices. Among the anticipated products are artificial hip and shoulder joints.

The SF-100 maskless exposure system is designed by Intelligent Micro Patterning LLC (St. Petersburg, FL, USA). Based on a patented technology called SmartFilter, the system incorporates micro-optical techniques to rapidly project master images directly onto substrate materials without the use of photomasks. The process works with metals, ceramics, and plastics. A broadband-spectrum, high-intensity white light source provides the exposure energy.

The SF-100 is a manually loaded exposure system. The image is imposed in the light path to produce the final exposure pattern. The pattern is then transferred to the substrate surface, which does not have to be flat. The technology was designed for easy integration into electronics development processes and production lines.

The partnership hopes to maximize potential by combining the US technology with the Swiss entity’s abilities. “Swiss Federal Laboratories is one of the world’s leading developers of implantable devices,” says Jay Sasserath, Intelligent Micro Patterning’s CEO. “Having SmartFilter technology in its laboratories in Switzerland will enable researchers to produce unique devices quickly and at low cost.”

Sasserath also notes that there is room for expansion in this particular field. “Our challenge, as far as marketing goes, is demonstrating to people how [this microtechnological process] can be useful in the biotech industry.”

The partnership was initiated by the keen eye of Phillipe Kern, head of Empa’s Micropatterning Group. Having long worked in central processing labs at major companies, Kern came across Intelligent Micro Patterning while surfing the Web. He immediately recognized the biotech potential of the photolithography system.

Kern emphasizes the good fit between the two companies. “This system will be a central part of our microfabrication facilities by providing the ability to rapidly prototype new designs and concepts.”

For more information on Intelligent Micro Patterning, contact Intelligent Micro Patterning LLC, 1922 Illinois Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33703, USA; phone: +1 727 5220334; fax: +1 727 522 3896; e-mail: sales@intelligentmp.com; Internet: www.intelligentmp.com. For more information on Empa, contact Empa Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Feuerwerkerstrasse 39, CH-3602 Thun, Switzerland; phone: +41 33 228462627; fax: +41 33 2284490; e-mail: contact@empa.ch; Internet: www.empa.ch.

Copyright ©2005 European Medical Device Manufacturer