Catheter and Stent Manufacturing

  • Tuohy Borst Adapter
    The 80369 Tuohy Borst adapter from Qosina accepts catheters from 2 to 6 on the French scale (0.66 to 2.11 mm). The adapter features a male luer spin lock to minimise tubing kinks when connecting. The adapter’s silicone gasket creates a seal around catheters or wires preventing the backflow...
    (March, 2010)
  • The Challenge for Biomaterials in Urology
    Urinary catheters and other urological devices are used in enormous numbers worldwide. Yet, their use increases the patient’s risk of contracting a urinary tract infection. This review of developments introduced to mitigate this risk asks for a basic redesign of the catheter. 
    (January, 2010)
  • Laser Welding System Meets Acute Production Challenges
    A fabricator of medical-grade metal tubing has invested in a fully integrated laser welder to boost production capacity and flexibility
    (January, 2010)
  • Micro Abrasive Blasting Delivers 21st Century Stents
    As the applications for stents expand, contract manufacturers have responded with improvements in manufacturing operations.
    (September, 2009)
  • Stent Guide Maker Uses Electric Moulding Machines to Achieve High Precision
    Initial outlay pays off handsomely in part quality, reduction in cycle time and extension of tooling life span, says contract moulder
    (September, 2009)
  • Manufacturing High Quality Urinary Catheters
    Forty-four percent of hospital patients with indwelling catheters can develop significant bacteriuria within 72 hours of catheterisation.1 It is, therefore, critical that catheters are manufactured with perfectly smooth surfaces and apertures to reduce the potential for infection. An ultrasonic cutt...
    (January, 2009)
  • Media Selection For Micro Blasting Medical Parts
    Micro blasting is used in a range of applications including catheter, stent and pacemaker manufacturing. The correct media to use for the required surface is defined here together with some of the finer points of the process to ensure successful results.
    (October, 2008)
  • Shows & Conferences
    INDUSTRY NEWS New Medical Trade Show to Be Held in Karlsruhe Focusing on precision components for medical device manufacturers, the new MediPart trade show will be held alongside the SurFacts and InterPart trade shows at the Messe Karlsruhe in Germany 3–5 June. The SurFacts ...
    (May, 2008)
  • Recent developments in catheter processing
    Ball-screw drive promotes endurance and smooth operation
    (March, 2008)
  • The Use Of Adhesives For Catheter Bonding
    This article discusses the selection of adhesives for catheter bonding and provides insights into joint design, adhesive curing, and dispensing techniques.
    (January, 2008)
  • Optimised System Configuration For Stent Manufacturing
    Optimising the major components of a laser stent machining platform will lead to improved part quality and machine throughput. Mechanical, control and software elements are reviewed here. Trends in stent design are also discussed together with their implications on these machine design elements.
    (January, 2008)
  • Predictive Modelling For Delivery Shaft Design
    A new approach to designing delivery shafts is described in this article. The approach employs finite element analysis methodology to find optimal solutions to design problems in shaft performance and to significantly reduce development timelines. The steps of the process and its advantages are desc...
    (January, 2008)
  • A Hydrophilic Technology For Intermittent Urinary Catheters
    A biocompatible and highly lubricous hydrophilic coating has been developed for intermittent urinary catheters. The coating has additives incorporated into it, which reduce the drying out of the catheter when it is inserted into the urethra, and antimicrobial agents can be incorporated into it to mi...
    (January, 2008)
  • Catheter Hole Making
    The science and technology of making good quality holes in tubing is an important issue for the success of the application. The process options and their benefits and limitations are examined.
    (November, 2007)
  • Ireland: Delivering Today and Tomorrow
    The Irish medical device industry employs, per capita, the highest number of people of all the medical technology sectors in the European Union. The industry is buoyant with many new initiatives underway to ensure its future growth.
    (October, 2007)
  • The Last Word on Drug-Eluting Stents? Not So Fast...
    A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR “Drug-Coated Stents May Not Significantly Raise Risk of Blood Clots” trumpeted a September 2 headline in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal. “International Study Shows Stent Risks” countered the Washington ...
    (September, 2007)
  • Stent Development: A Surface Issue
    The research surrounding stent development has found surface analysis techniques to be invaluable tools. As this product sector works on its next-generation devices, combining the use of these techniques is providing critical qualitative and quantitative data. The value to other products that involv...
    (September, 2007)
  • The Search For Endothelium Friendly Stents
    The concern regarding late-stent thrombosis with the use of drug-eluting stents provides the basis for an examination of alternative approaches to stent design. This article outlines the biological mechanisms behind the thrombosis and hence provides a framework for understanding the types of drug ac...
    (May, 2007)
  • Teleflex Medical OEM Expands Irish Plant
    INDUSTRY NEWS To meet current production needs and to add some elbow room for new product development, Teleflex Medical OEM has spent US$500,000 to expand its facility in Annacotty, Co. Limerick, Ireland. The initiative is described as the first installment in a long-term strategy ...
    (May, 2007)
  • Spray Technology Improves Catheter-Coating Process
    Low-pressure valves won’t plug small openings
    (May, 2007)
  • Late Thrombosis and Drug-Eluting Stents
    On 14 September 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration indicated that it had some concern over “small but significant” increases in the rates of death in patients treated with drug-eluting stents. This article considers the background and consequences of this matter.
    (November, 2006)
  • Using Ultrasonic Spray Nozzles To Coat Drug-Eluting Stents
    Polymer coatings containing drugs released over time are used to inhibit restenosis in bare-metal stents; however applying coatings to stents, which have intricate geometries, is challenging. Ultrasonic atomising spray nozzles can be effective in achieving continuous and uniform coatings. This artic...
    (November, 2006)
  • Catheter Manufacturing Plant Opens in Shenzhen, China
    INDUSTRY NEWS A manufacturer of PTCA balloon catheters, coronary stent delivery systems, and related products on a contract basis has announced the completion of a 12,000-sq-ft facility in Shenzhen, China. Located in the Futian Free Trade Zone,...
    (October, 2006)
  • Irish Manufacturer Expands Angioplasty Product Offering
    INDUSTRY NEWS With more than 600,000 angioplasties performed in Europe alone in 2005, the procedure is one of the most common medical interventions performed worldwide. Clearstream Technologies (Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Ireland), a manufacturer of stents, catheters, and ...
    (September, 2006)
  • Improving the Deliverability of PCI Catheters
    A recent study1 assessing views of interventional cardiologists on the performance of catheters used in angioplasty, also known as percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), indicates that there is a need for improvement in the catheter. The particular areas of improvement are reviewed here with som...
    (May, 2006)