MARKET PLACE
Nanolayer fluoropolymer coatings
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Surface Engineering Associates has developed nanolayer fluoropolymer coatings using plasma vapour deposition at room temperature. According to the company, the coating can be applied to virtually any material and excellent results have been achieved with materials not previously able to benefit from Teflon coatings. These include engineering ceramics, elastomers and a variety of precision and heat sensitive components.
Surface Engineering Associates, Eldersburg, Maryland, USA.
Tel. +1 410 549 8833, www.seac1.com
Antimicrobial and biocompatible coatings
Bactiguard provides an antimicrobial and biocompatible coating for medical devices. The coating can be applied to plastics, ceramics and metals and as a wet chemical process at room temperature a uniform layer is achieved. The surface is a transparent nanosize noble metal mixture with good adherence to the substrate. According to the company, it is suitable for devices in contact with blood and other body fluids and has been proven to be effective in preventing hospital aquired infections in clinical studies involving more than 80000 patients.
Bactiguard AB, Stockholm, Sweden.
Tel. +46 8 440 58 80, www.bactiguard.se
Coatings for orthopaedic devices
Plasma Biotal provides biomaterials and coating services to the orthopaedic device industry. Its products include calcium hydroxylapatite powders and coatings that meet ISO 13779, ASTM 1185 and FDA requirements for bioactive nonresorbable applications, and tri calcium orthophosphate powders and ceramics for resorbable applications such as specialist graft products and composites manufacture. The company also supplies a textured titanium “rough coat” coating service, to provide additional biological adhesion for products with a plain surface geometry.
Plasma Biotal Ltd, Tideswell, UK.
Tel. +44 1298 872 348, www.immunosurface.com
Hydrophobic surface treatment
P2i has developed a super-hydrophobic treatment that transforms the surface of a product to display low surface energy values down to one third of that of PTFE. Ion-mask uses plasma to apply a protective nano-metre thick layer over the entire surface of a product that does not alter the look or feel of the treated object. It reportedly allows materials to breathe but stops water ingress. The company’s services range from a bespoke plasma enhancement process to full production capability.
P2i Ltd, Abingdon, UK.
Tel. +44 1235 833 100, www.p2ilabs.com
Benchtop plasma system
Plasma Etch offers a benchtop plasma surface modification system that is designed to help start up manufacturers, R&D departments conduct repeatable surface modifications or experiments. PE-100s benchtop vacuum chamber creates surface energy modifications and surface abrasions at the atomic level that enable bonding during the production of medical devices such as implantables, stents and replacement joint fittings. The system increases materials’ surface energies to allow manufacturers to assemble devices from otherwise incompatible materials and achieve production ready bonding, adhesion or sealing. The process works to clean surfaces for production by removing organic materials without creating waste.
Plasma Etch Inc., Carson City, Nevada, USA.
Tel. +1 775 883 1336, www.plasmaetch.com
Hydrophilic coating
AST Products offers an environmentally friendly water-based hydrophilic coating that has reportedly passed all stringent biocompatibility tests associated with tissue and blood contacting devices. LubriLAST coating enables a surface to be lubricious and can be combined to append antimicrobial, antithrombogenic or antiencrustive functions onto devices. According to the company, the coating retains its physical integrity and functionality even after hundreds of cycles of durability test. The company offers contract coating services and/or technology transfer packages to its customers.
AST Products Inc., Billerica, Massachusetts, USA.
Tel. +1 978 667 4500, www.astp.com
Mass finishing system
Rösler has developed a system for surface finishing delicate, thin gauge parts that tend to bend or warp. The Flow Finisher can be used for deburring, surface grinding, polishing, edge breaking and degreasing small flat components up to larger parts of different shapes made from different materials. The intensity of the finishing process for different parts can be adjusted by the variable belt speed and the use of different grinding or polishing media. The workspace is easily accessible and automatic transfer of the finished parts to a drier is possible.
Rösler UK, Prescot, UK.
Tel. +44 151 482 0444, www.rosleruk.com
Plasma systems
Anatech offers inductively coupled plasma systems with ICP quartz chambers that reportedly provide ultra clean particulate free operation. Laminar gas flow ensures uniform multidirectional plasma and provides molecular level cleaning, surface modification and etching. The company also offers aluminium reactor plasma systems with touch panel PLC controls and RF power at 13.56 MHz. Shelves can be adjusted without tools.
Anatech USA, Hayward, California, USA.
Tel. +1 800 390 4449, www.anatechusa.com
PTFE coating for tubes
Applied Plastics offers a PTFE coating service for kink resistant Nitinol tube and stainless steel tube used in cardiovascular medical devices for arterial transfer. The highly lubricious coating does not affect the kink resistant characteristics of the nitinol tube and can be applied to tubing ranging in size from 0.0508 mm to 3.048 m o.d. and with tolerances of 0.00254 to 0.0762 mm. The coating is suitable for guidewires, catheters, needles and other devices.
Applied Plastics Co. Inc., Norwood, Massachusetts, USA.
Tel. +1 781 762 1881, www.appliedplastics.com
Microblasting equipment
Comco manufactures microablasive blasting equipment that provides surface treatment solutions for the manufacture of medical parts. AccFlo can be used for applications such as improving the surface finish of pacemaker cans or in the surface treatment of laser cut stents to remove oxidation and pulse marks. The company says this step enables the electropolishing process to create a more consistent finish without damaging the integrity of the stent.
Comco Inc., Burbank, California, USA.
Tel. +1 818 841 5500, www.comco.inc
Atmospheric plasma treatment
Enercon has developed a variable chemistry atmospheric plasma treatment for difficult to treat surfaces. Plasma3 VCP is designed for treating sheets, boards and objects with minimal contour such as tubing and wire. According to the company, the process generates uniform and dense plasma, which provides an aggressive and consistent treatment with long lasting results. The system may be configured with unique chemistry blends to optimise the effects or treatment for different materials. Other surface treatment technologies from the company include Dynamite HP air plasma treater, Dyne-A-Mite IT blown ion treater, and the Dyne-A-Flame flame plasma system. The company offers a free testing service to see which technology best fits a customer’s application.
Enercon Industries Corp., Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA.
Tel. +1 262 255 7080, www.enercon.com
Adhesion promotion technology
Specialty Coating Systems has developed an adhesion promotion technology to improve the adhesion of parylene conformal coatings to various substrates. AdPro Plus improves parylene adhesion to materials such as Titanium, stainless steel, gold, chromium, Santoprene, polyimide, polycarbonate and solder mask. It has also demonstrated improved stability at high temperatures, making it suitable to harsh environment applications.
Specialty Coating Systems, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Tel. +1 317 244 1200, www.scscoatings.com
Physical vapour deposition machine
Tecvac has developed a twin-beam physical vapour deposition (PVD) machine. The IP75 features a multiple electron beam configuration that allows the development of complex PVD coatings with multiple metallic, metalloid and ceramic components, combined in flexible formulations. The machine allows multiple degrees of freedom during coating deposition and all critical parameters can be controlled independently. It also enables the control of grain size and orientation at the nano level. The machine is being used by the University of Sheffield’s (Sheffield, UK) PVD coatings research programme and will enable the researchers to explore many third and fourth generation PVD formulations with the objective of developing low temperature processes to produce novel coatings with beneficial mechanical properties.
Tecvac Ltd, Swavesey, UK.
Tel. +44 1954 233 700, www.tecvac.com
Blood compatible surfaces
Corline develops and manufactures products that are used to improve the blood compatibility of foreign surfaces in contact with blood. Its heparin surface technology, CHS, is applied to devices such as stents and circulatory assist pumps, as well as on biological tissue such as living cells to be transplanted. According to the company, the CHS can be sterilised by ethylene oxide, has passed relevant toxicological tests and has demonstrated approprate shelf life stability.
Corline Systems AB, Uppsala, Sweden.
Tel. +46 18 71 30 90, www.corline.com
Complete plasma treatment for 3D objects
CERAM has developed a system that allows the complete immersion of samples in plasma discharge. The Plasma Tumbler enables the complete treatment of three-dimensional objects with complex geometries, even in recessed areas, because all surfaces of the samples are exposed to the reactive species of the plasma. The company also offers surface analysis of products treated inhouse or previously modified elsewhere.
CERAM Surface and Materials Analysis (CSMA), Stoke on Trent, UK.
Tel. +44 845 026 0902, www.csma.ltd.uk/plasma
Parylene conformal coating
Comelec specialises in parylene conformal coating services. According to the company, parylene provides dielectric protection, a pinhole-free film, a low coefficient of friction, hydrophobic surface, particle lockdown, a chemical barrier and promotion of tissue growth. The parylene coating is reportedly USP Class VI and ISO biocompatible and can be applied directly onto devices such as pumps, stents, stimulators and catheters. The company also offers a range of equipment for parylene treatment and consulting services.
COMELEC SA, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
Tel. +41 32 924 0004, www.comelec.ch
Biomedical surface modification
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biomat specialises in the modification of surfaces for biomedical applications. The company offers plasma treatment (glow discharge), chemical activation and biological coatings, alone or in combination with each other. Capabilities include specific targeting of binding properties and enhancement of fluid-flow based on micro and nanotechnologies.
biomat snc, Rovereto, Italy.
Tel. +39 0464 443 320, www.immunosurface.com
Certified coating technologies
DSM Biomedical has obtained ISO 13485 certification in recognition of its quality management systems for its medical coating activities. Offerings include ComfortCoat hydrophilic coating technologies for stent delivery systems, catheters and guidewires. According to the company, it can develop new integrated solutions to meet customer’s coating requirements, including tests to continuously monitor the performance and quality of the coatings it provides.
DSM Biomedical, Geleen, The Netherlands.
Tel. +31 46 476 0278, www.dsmbiomedical.com
