Product News

Surface Treatment

  • Surface Analysis
    Surface analysis techniques are important tools to use in the verification of surface cleanliness and medical device functionality. How these techniques can be employed and some example applications are described.
    (October, 2006)
  • Plasma Processing and Hydrophobic Surfaces
    A fluorocarbon plasma process is described that can give surfaces enhanced hydrophobicity. It can be used on a range of material surfaces and geometric shapes. The process and the advantages it offers drug delivery and other devices are examined.
    (October, 2006)
  • Nanotechnology Delivers Microcoatings
    Surface coating techniques are rapidly advancing. Polymer-brush coatings and nanocomposite technology are described and demonstrate the increasing options in material properties that are available to new product developers.
    (October, 2006)
  • Surface Treatment
    TECHNOLOGY NEWS Nanoscale Diamond Coatings Add Strength to Medical Devices Scoring a 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardn s, diamond is the hardest naturally occurring mineral. Rho-BeSt Hartstoffbeschichtungs GmbH (Innsbruck, Austria)...
    (September, 2006)
  • A Novel Polymeric Coating for Enhanced Ultrasound Visibility of Medical Devices
    A dynamic novel coating, consisting of a hydrophilic polymeric matrix and a bubbling agent, has been developed for precise entry and positioning of needles, and accurate collection of biopsy samples. These coated biopsy needles have been successfully used in in vitro trials. The results are discusse...
    (March, 2006)
  • Plasma-Enhanced Parylene Coating for Medical Device Applications
    Medical devices can benefit from improved surface properties after parylene coating. This article compares traditional parylene coating with plasma-enhanced parylene coating. It explains the processes involved and reports some results.
    (January, 2006)
  • Products and Services
    Originally Published EMDM January 2006 First Look Converter Introduces Cross-Hatch Gravure Coating A firm that develops specialty adhesive films, tapes, and compounds for healthcare products now has the capability to gravure-coat adhesives in a cross-hatch pattern ...
    (January, 2006)
  • In Brief
    Originally Published EMDM September 2005 Industry News In Brief Coating Firm Announces Compliance with RoHS Directive Having completed compliance testing, Specialty Coating Systems (SCS; Indianapolis, IN, USA) will now offer its parylene conformal coating services and raw materia...
    (September, 2005)
  • Coating Developed for Defence Use Migrates to Healthcare
    Originally Published EMDM May/June 2005 Industry News A plasma-based coating can repel liquids from microplate filters, liquid-handling tips, micropipettes, reaction tubes, and drug-delivery devices. Originally developed to protect military and emergency...
    (May, 2005)
  • Spin-out Company Develops Coating Process
    Originally Published EMDM January/February 2005 Industry News Spin-out Company Develops Coating Process Biomedical devices requiring thick- or thin-film coatings may soon benefit from the development of a patented coating process called Electrostatic Spray Assisted Vapour Deposit...
    (January, 2005)
  • Fresh Coats for Drug-Eluting Stents
    Originally Published EMDM May/June 2003 Product Update Rita Emmanouilidou and Melody Lee The sirolimus-eluting Cypher stent from Cordis Corp. is coated with a polymeric matrix that slowly releases the drug over a period of 90 days. With the drug-el...
    (May, 2004)
  • Netherlands-Based Company Licenses Stent Coating
    Originally Published EMDM March/April 2004 INDUSTRY NEWS A drug that prevents restenosis developed by Occam International B.V. (Eindhoven, Netherlands), a subsidiary of Biosensors International, will be applied to a bifurcation stent marketed by Devax (Irvine, CA, USA). Occam will pro...
    (March, 2004)
  • In Brief
    Originally Published EMDM November 2003 INDUSTRY NEWS Parylene Coating Centre Opens in Dublin Specialty Coating Systems (SCS; Dublin, Ireland) has announced the opening of its new parylene coating facility in Dublin. Serving the fast-growing medical device industry in Ireland, the ...
    (November, 2003)
  • In Brief
    Originally Published EMDM October 2003 INDUSTRY NEWS Perlos Opens Cleanroom  Perlos UK Ltd. has opened a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical cleanroom at its Sunderland operation in Houghton-le-Spring (Durham, UK). The Class 7 facility increases manufacturing capacity by 50% for th...
    (October, 2003)
  • Product Release Europe ApS
    Originally Published EMDM March/April 2003 PRODUCT UPDATE A supplier of contract surface treatment services recently announced the opening of a facility that will provide an array of coatings developed by STS Biopolymers (Henrietta, NY, USA). (Kvistgård, Denmark) w...
    (March, 2003)
  • SurModics Inc.
    Originally Published EMDM March/April 2003 PRODUCT UPDATE Medical devices often require multiple surface characteristics to ensure the best possible performance. In addition to providing a combination of lubricious and haemocompatible coatings for medical devices, (Eden Prair...
    (March, 2003)
  • Preparing for Part 18
    Originally Published EMDM November/December 2002 SPECIAL REPORT As the new ISO chemical characterization standard nears completion, European manufacturers face some big changes in biocompatibility assessment. Leslie Lane Sidebar: Chemical C...
    (November, 2002)
  • Coatings Help Devices Live Up to Their Potential
    Originally Published EMDM September 2002 PRODUCT UPDATE Surface treatments make medical instruments better, more versatile, and easier to use. PhotoLink technology developed by SurModics offers a diverse range of property enhancements on numerous substrates. When new medical techn...
    (September, 2002)
  • Specialty Coating Systems
    Originally Published EMDM September 2002 PRODUCT UPDATE Inadequate coverage is a shortcoming of some surface treatments that may pose a problem for certain applications. "Our product, parylene, is never a liquid, so it doesn't have the low-coverage drawback associated with liquid coatin...
    (September, 2002)
  • AST Products
    Originally Published EMDM September 2002 PRODUCT UPDATE Materials used in medical care may cause complications such as bacterial infection, blood clots, and tissue trauma. These issues can be addressed by using BioLast, a proprietary flexible coating technology from (Billerica, MA, US...
    (September, 2002)
  • Comelec
    Originally Published EMDM September 2002 PRODUCT UPDATE Vacuum-deposited parylene film is suited for barrier property enhancement, surface passivation, electrical insulation, immobilization of microscopic particles, and friction reduction. (La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland) applies a tra...
    (September, 2002)
  • Carmeda AB
    Originally Published EMDM September 2002 PRODUCT UPDATE Coatings designed to improve the haemocompatibility of blood-contacting devices typically have difficulty in staying on the device surface. (Upplands Väsby, Sweden) has developed a proprietary heparin coating that retains thr...
    (September, 2002)
  • 3DT LLC
    Originally Published EMDM September 2002 PRODUCT UPDATE Corona treatment increases the wettability of polymer surfaces, allowing adhesion for printing, coating, and bonding applications. In addition, the process can be used to provide petri dishes, test panels, and other disposable labo...
    (September, 2002)
  • SurModics Inc.
    Originally Published EMDM September 2002 PRODUCT UPDATE Many materials used to fabricate medical devices are not inherently compatible with blood and its components. By adding a thin-film coating to the surface, manufacturers can ensure the functionality of a device. (Eden Prairie, MN,...
    (September, 2002)
  • Plasma Electronic GmbH
    Originally Published EMDM September 2002 PRODUCT UPDATE Low-temperature plasma processes are suited for most substances and materials. Depending on the process, the surface is either activated (prepared for wetting), degreased, cleaned, or coated. In the low-pressure plasma process, rea...
    (September, 2002)