Medical design and manufacture news roundup

Tekni-Plex announces new Tekni-Plex Medical business

Tekni-Plex Medical is launching a Prototype Solutions Services initiative to support medical device manufacturers at the design stage of new tubing products used in critical fluid-transfer applications.

The prototypes created as part of the service are instrumental for testing tubing used in sensitive medical applications, including torturous paths, extremely tight tolerances, layered extrusions, pump applications and lubricity requirements.

“This service enables us to leverage our extensive knowledge of PVC, urethanes, Pebax and TPE material science and process technology to enable medical device companies to solve their most critical fluid-transfer design challenges,” says Gary Mizenko, technical operations manager, Tekni-Plex Medical. “With this launch, medical device professionals can access our people earlier at the design stage to develop tubing products that meet a wide range of challenging performance criteria.”

Prototype Solutions Services are also designed to enable the company to react quickly to customer production requests.

“Combining these services with our material science knowledge really puts us in an ideal position to help fine-tune designs, quickly deliver prototypes, and ramp up production in a quality-driven, efficient manner,” Mizenko says. “In addition, because we also manufacture compounds, our vertical integration allows us to better address both quality and speed-to-market deliverables for medical device companies.”

Tekni-Plex Medical’s prototyping equipment is a smaller scale version of its commercial systems, so the company can transition seamlessly from small tubing runs to full production. This is supported by internal compounding capability that enables the company to tailor materials for innovative tubing solutions. 

Dymax & HZO announce strategic alliance in response to market demand for protective coatings

HZO Inc., a global leader in world-class nanocoatings that safeguard electronics, electrical products, and critical applications in an ever-changing market, announced a strategic alliance with Dymax. The partnership will extend HZO's portfolio by adding 3,000 formulations to its existing coating solutions, facilitate joint product development, and accelerate market reach through Dymax's global sales channel.

Dymax is one of the world's leading manufacturers of rapid light-cure adhesives, conformal coatings, potting compounds, and complementary dispensing and curing equipment. These products are used across various diverse industries and applications, including medical device, consumer electronics, automotive, and aerospace. Among the innovative products in the Dymax portfolio are special protective coatings and potting compounds that cure in seconds under UV LED or broad-spectrum light. This technological advantage enables increased production throughput while simultaneously reducing processing costs.

The partnership will directly address product requirements based on trends in IoT adoption, edge computing, ruggedization, electronic miniaturization, and lightweight devices, as well as help manufacturers rethink how they produce and protect their offerings. By 2030, it is estimated that over 100B electronic devices will be connected around the world, in addition to the countless number of stand-alone electrical products. These products will be deployed into some of the most challenging environments and mission-critical situations, from autonomous cars and satellites to health wearables and smart meters. 

"Quick-cure conformal coatings from Dymax and next-generation nanocoatings from HZO, delivered through a single source, will accelerate market entry, streamline procurement, and enhance product performance, delivering a better, more durable offering," says Rich Holder, CEO of HZO. "This partnership aligns with our core strategy of delivering a complete customer solution and builds on years of working together serving some of the biggest brands in the business."

"HZO's leadership in thin-film sub-20-micron solutions will help meet our customer requirements for twenty-first-century device protection," says Jason Maupin, chief commercial officer of Dymax. "The agreement provides for the production of new formulations, including sustainable alternatives, that will drive the alliance to the forefront of innovation." 

Solvay and Carbon22 partner on Creed Cannulated Screws for orthopedics

Solvay’s Zeniva polyetheretherketone (PEEK) resin was chosen by Carbon22, a GLW Inc. company, for its new Creed Cannulated Screw System for foot and ankle surgery. This advanced new screw system recently received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

To create the new system’s ortholucent, plastic-metal hybrid composite, Solvay’s implant-grade radiolucent Zeniva PEEK resin is overmolded onto a titanium core prior to final processing. This high-performance material solution allows the screw to be seen with X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scanning while enabling the surgeon to accurately assess anatomical details near and behind the implant site without visual distortion or artifacts.

The new Creed Cannulated screws are produced using unique manufacturing technology from Carbon22. This groundbreaking process helps control costs by reducing material waste, compared to traditional titanium screws, which generate significant and expensive scrap during machining. Additionally, the Carbon22 hybrid enables a more-aggressive cutting tip which cannot be realized with all-PEEK screw designs.

“We worked closely with Carbon22 to achieve strong adhesion to titanium, which is not an inherent property of PEEK,” says Anna Maria Bertasa, healthcare global marketing manager for Solvay Specialty Polymers. “Solvay’s broad, deep technical expertise and advanced material technologies are what set us apart from our competition and enabled us to help create the innovative Creed system. We welcome new challenges that address the unique individual needs of our customers to give them a competitive advantage and help them succeed.”

While all-titanium screws are opaque to X-rays, and imaging of all-PEEK screws is affected by their diameter, the Creed hybrid composite screws allow X-rays to pass through to the bone. These new screws generate an outline that greatly enhances visualization of bony structures. Surgeons can use this capability to confirm screw placement during surgical procedures, check positioning post-operatively and determine the status of the healing process at follow-up appointments. The ability to image screw placement gives surgeons greater confidence and can help them achieve better patient outcomes. 

“Solvay is a recognized industry leader for implantable PEEK,” say Vadim Gurevich, CEO, Carbon22. “Their team provided exceptional materials expertise and engineering capabilities that were instrumental in the development of our new Creed system. Together, we are actively engaged in new development projects that promise to further drive the development of next-generation orthopedic devices.”

Qosina partners with Nordson Medical to support single-use bioprocess integrators and medical device manufacturers

Qosina is pleased to announce that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Nordson Medical, a premier manufacturer and supplier of components to the bioprocess and medical device industries.

Qosina offers low minimum order quantities, providing a cost-effective way to order exact quantities needed. Nordson MEDICAL customers who wish to purchase lower quantities of medical device and bioprocess components may place these types of orders directly with Qosina at https://www.qosina.com.