Originally Published EMDM January/February 2005
Spotlight
Tubing |
Extruded tubing
A supplier specializes in extruding medical-grade polyurethane, polyamide, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, and polyvinylidene fluoride tubing. Mono- and multilumen tubes and multilayer tubes are offered, as well as striped and fully radiopaque tubing. Class 100,000 and Class 10,000 cleanrooms are on-site. The extruded tubes can be further developed into medical devices in-house. Customized products are engineered in a separate R&D department. Quality systems comply with ISO 9001 and EN 46001 standards. Novoplast Schlauchtechnik, Halberstadt, Germany.
Pharmaceutical tubing
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Three tubing lines from a manufacturer are made from an elastomer that meets European Pharmacopoeia guidelines for closures and tubing. Pharma Advanced Pump Tubing is a silicone product designed for pumping ultrapure liquids in the pharmaceutical manufacturing process. Containing no organic plasticizers, phthalates, or latex additives, it is designed for use in peristaltic pumps where durability is required. Pharma Reinforced Tubing is also made from silicone, but is fibre-reinforced for high-pressure gas, steam, or liquid transfer. Its fibre braid does not contact material on the tubing surface or within the lumen. The third line, Pharma Tubing, is used for transferring ultrapure liquids, air, or steam where contamination is a concern. Made from a tear-resistant platinum-cured elastomer, it remains stable over a wide range of temperatures. Dow Corning Healthcare Solutions, Coventry, UK.
Polyimide tubing
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Polyimide tubing for cardiovascular and urological catheters and minimally invasive devices is produced with inner diameters ranging from 0.076 to 2.110 mm in tight tolerances and various wall thicknesses. Features include small profiles, tractability, flexibility, and kink resistance. Braided and coil-reinforced designs are available for added torque and column strength. Fluoropolymers can be incorporated into the designs to reduce surface friction and aid in bonding with other components. The company also offers tubing with implanted marker bands and flexible tips. Laser ablation, hole drilling, and custom trimming are among the available technologies. MicroLumen Inc., Tampa, FL, USA.
Hypotube-based shafts
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Hypotube-based shafts are offered to meet demanding design requirements. The firm’s material science and design specialists will assist customers in achieving suitable shaft designs. In addition to PTCA devices, hypotube shafts are suitable for peripheral vascular, neurological, and imaging applications. Creganna Medical Devices, Galway, Ireland.
Nitinol tubing
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To meet increasingly tight tolerance requirements for nitinol tubes, a manufacturer has developed a procedure enabling the production of large, thin-walled tubes. The tubes have very narrow wall and OD tolerances. The Germany-based company has added this product to its range of seamless nitinol tubes. EUROflex GmbH, Pforzheim, Germany.
Contract services
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A company has expanded the value-added services offered with its fluoropolymer extrusion technology. Draw-down, drilling, etching, flaring, flanging, shrinking over mandrels, scoring, slitting, skiving, tipping, striping, heat sealing, cuffing, tube-bonding, and thermoforming services are performed. Also available are special fillers, retractable coils, light product assembly, automated assembly, and product analysis and enhancement. Potential benefits of these services include improved yields and minimized material costs. Zeus Industrial Products Inc., Orangeburg, SC, USA.
PTFE coating service
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A PTFE coating imparts desirable properties to stainless-steel and nitinol hypodermic tubing without altering their physical characteristics. The service applies PTFE onto the outer diameter of stainless-steel or nitinol hypotubes achieving tolerances of 0.0001 to 0.0004 in. The smooth, lubricious coating facilitates arterial transfer and is available in green, grey, black, and blue. Marker bands can be placed at user-specified intervals, and the coating is suitable for spiral, skived, flared, crimped, ground, and slotted tubes. The firm can also source hypodermic tubing. Applied Plastics Company Inc., Norwood, MA, USA.
Spiral and twisted extrusions
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Recently developed proprietary processes allow the production of close-tolerance silicone tubing that can spiral or twist to a desired pitch. The resulting products feature kink resistance, flexibility, and minimized electrical noise. The medical uses for silicone extrusions, which previously were limited by the number of available lumens and shapes, are expanded by these techniques. The processes are offered by a contract fabricator of custom silicone components for the medical device industry with expertise in calendering, dip coating, extrusion, and moulding. Specialty Silicone Fabricators Inc., Paso Robles, CA, USA.
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