PRODUCT UPDATE
Plasmatech Inc.
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Plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition technology from Plasmatech Inc. (Erlanger, KY, USA) provides an environmentally friendly method of bonding or overmoulding metal components. By contrast, other methods of preparing surfaces of metal components prior to bonding incompatible materials may require caustic chemical etchants or costly conversion coatings. Chemical vapour deposition can be used to deposit a polymerized thin coating that creates a tie or interface layer permitting direct bonding or overmoulding to the metal surface. According to the company, the bond performance of the coated surfaces often surpasses those treated with conventional methods.
The technology also can be used to facilitate application of plasma-polymerized thin films onto a plasma-precleaned substrate without exposing the materials to the atmosphere. As a result of the plasma cleaning step, the thin film adheres strongly to the substrate with polymerization occurring at an atomic level.
The company provides contract processing services in a GMP-compliant lab as well as a line of low-pressure plasma and parylene coating systems. Process development services are available to meet unique surface engineering requirements.
M&C Specialties
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A provider of pressure-sensitive converting products offers a line of tapes designed to permanently bond and seal a variety of metals, plastics, and other surfaces during medical device assembly. The 3M VHB tapes from M&C Specialties (Southampton, PA, USA) bond on contact without the need for application equipment. The tapes bond with a high holding strength suited for static and dynamic loads, while distributing stress evenly over large areas. Virtually invisible, the tapes fasten while keeping surfaces smooth and clean. They can be used to join dissimilar materials.
The company also converts a variety of other pressure-sensitive adhesives. Capabilities include laminating, die-cutting, sheeting, and slitting for laboratory diagnostics, wound-care, and patient monitoring applications. The firm is certified to 9001:2000 and registered with US FDA.
MicroFab Technologies
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A print system developed by MicroFab Technologies (Plano, TX, USA) can be used for dispensing a variety of substances, including proteins, polymers, adhesives, and liquid solder. The compact Jetlab 4 print station offers standard features such as controlled x-y positioning, a 16 × 12-cm substrate size and print area, manual z-axis control of printhead height, and point-to-point printing capability. Complex print job definition is possible through scripting. Optional components include custom print-heads, a CCD camera for substrate observation, and support for a 21 × 26-cm substrate size.
The company is represented in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Scandinavia by Horizon Instruments Ltd. (Heathfield, E Sussex, UK).
Dymax Europe GmbH
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A medical adhesive from Dymax Europe GmbH (Frankfurt, Germany) forms tough and flexible bonds to plasticized PVC, polycarbonate, and ethylene vinyl acetate. The 1165-M adhesive cures in seconds upon exposure to UV or visible light and fluoresces to facilitate in-line inspection. The adhesive dispenses quickly for precise placement of specified qualities. It is solvent-free and cures only upon exposure to UV or visible light; its ability to cure rapidly enables device manufacturers to achieve high outputs and low assembly costs, according to the manufacturer. This product is compliant with the RoHS directives 2002/95/EC and 2003/11EC and is certified to ISO 10993. The firm manufactures a variety of other solvent-free UV light–curable adhesives that are suitable for medical device manufacturing. It also offers an array of UV light-curing spot lamps, focused-beam lamps, and flood lamps.
Eurobond Adhesives Ltd.
A company specializes in high-performance USP Class VI medical-grade UV-cure and instant curing adhesives. The Vitralit adhesives from Eurobond Adhesives Ltd. (Sittingbourne, Kent, UK) are suited for a variety of medical applications. The nontoxic adhesives resist common sterilization processes, including gamma, EtO, and chemical vapour sterilization. They demonstrate secure adhesion to synthetic material and metal. Solvent-free, the adhesives can be used for applications such as joining stainless-steel cannulae to transparent or translucent hubs and syringes, as well as for bonding stainless-steel cannulae to a glass syringe body on pharmaceutical syringes and bonding subassemblies in blood pressure transducers, fittings, and arterial filters.
Developed for medical technology applications, the firm’s Cyanolit instant adhesives are certified to USP Class VI. They are nontoxic and fast curing, can be used in automated dosing systems, and are suited for bonding plastic materials including ABS, PVS, latex, polycarbonate, styrene, acrylic, and Duroplast. In addition, they can be used for bonding materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and other forms of rubber and plastic. Typical applications of the adhesives include bonding latex balloons onto PVC lumens in catheters, bonding balloons to multilumen tubes, and bonding needles in winged infusion sets.
