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Formulation helps increase efficiency of surgical catheter

28 Mar '13

2 min read

PolyOne Corporation and NEU Specialty Engineered Materials announced that NEU's collaboration with FinLumen Inc. (Beijing) has resulted in better performance, processability, part quality and appearance for a minimally invasive surgical catheter. NEU, a leading provider of polymer solutions for healthcare device manufacturers worldwide, worked with Demax Medical Technology Co., Ltd. to develop a specialty material that meets end use and regulatory requirements while reducing scrap rates by 50 percent.

PolyOne will be exhibiting the NEU solutions for surgical catheters at Chinaplas 2013 in booth 11.2E21 on May 20-23 in Guangzhou, China.

As a rapidly growing company specializing in devices for interventional cardiology, Demax has recently set up FinLumen Inc. to provide extrusion capabilities. In addition to a specific material for its catheters, FinLumen was looking for a materials supplier that could provide guidance in plastics processing, material selection and regulatory compliance for extruded products.

NEU worked closely with FinLumen to gain a better understanding of the application's needs, from end-use constraints to manufacturing and total cost considerations. The team identified significant in-service performance targets as well as regulatory and manufacturing process requirements before developing an effective solution.

The custom solution developed by NEU enables FinLumen to produce catheters for Demax to the exacting specifications required for making extremely small-diameter tubing used in minimally invasive surgery.

“Catheters used for cardiac surgery require medical-grade polymers that can meet key criteria, including radiopacity. When we were unable to find suitable materials, we turned to NEU, a company known for custom solutions, processing expertise and extensive knowledge of medical device regulations,” said Bike Qiu, chief technology officer, FinLumen. “The custom solution that NEU developed enabled us to improve the quality, performance and appearance of our catheters and reduce scrap while cutting overall costs for the customer.”

According to Engguan Soh, general manager, PolyOne Engineered Materials Asia, “Our specialty solution enabled FinLumen to create a catheter that improves operational efficiency as well as performance. NEU specializes in extensive customization capabilities, which enables us to meet precise material requirements for demanding medical device applications. The key is close collaboration to understand the customer's needs and develop a tailored solution."

In taking a comprehensive approach to solving the customer's needs, the NEU team addressed both material formulation and fundamental process dynamics, leading to a high-performance and cost-effective solution.

PolyOne Corporation