Enhancing Guidewires

DSM, a global leader in biomedical materials sciences, announces a successful collaboration with medical manufacturer EPflex to launch a new set of guidewires with ComfortCoat(R) hydrophilic coating, a proprietary DSM technology. EPflex will manufacture the guidewires and DSM will provide the coating technology.

EPflex is a leading innovator in nitinol-based guidewire systems. Nitinol offers unique advantages such as high flexibility and stability, which enable the safe treatment of hard-to-reach lesions.

DSM's ComfortCoat coating further improves the performance of the guidewire systems by providing a durable lubricious coating, which reduces the amount of force needed to pass through tight stenoses and reach difficult lesions. Benefits of the coated guidewires include an extremely soft tip, excellent gliding properties, a torsion stable core, and high flexural strength.

"Guidewires are used in many medical disciplines including urology, cardiology, radiology and gastrology," says John Marugg, business manager, coatings, DSM Biomedical. "The success of these devices further demonstrates the broad capabilities of DSM's proprietary coating technologies and coating processes in medical applications."

"Guidewires are often one of the first devices introduced into a patient's body during surgery," states Bernhard Uihlein, CEO, EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbH. "By enhancing our products with innovative coating technology we aim to make procedures easier for physicians while also improving patient outcomes. We chose DSM as a partner because of the company's proven quality, service and reliability."