The quality of medical care has undergone a revolution. Designs of various medical devices have improved its overall character and quality. However, the current demand for high standards has also increased the need for careful manufacturing procedures. This has resulted in an upsurge in a specific approach – medical device coatings. In this field, American companies such as Professional Plating, dominate the now global market.
Types of Medical Device Coatings
Safety is of primary concern in the manufacturing of medical devices, but the producer also has to take in to consideration affordability. While certain metals such as silver and gold may be the ideal material to produce medical devices, the cost is prohibitive. Instead, manufacturers turn to coatings to provide sanitary, biocompatibility, functional and cost-effective solutions. While medical device coatings range widely, essentially, there are 3 basic types of coatings.
Lubricant Coatings: Lubricants serve the purpose of providing easier insertion into another device or other opening. It does so by reducing friction between two different surfaces when they come into contact. One example is a catheter.
Antimicrobial Coatings: This type of coating offers protection against the transferal of any microbes from the surface into a human entity.
Hydrophilic Surface Coatings: Medical device coatings of this nature make the devices capable of conducting fluids.
These three basic types of medical device coatings are under strict regulations that reputable companies such as ProPlate meet and exceed. In all instances, plating companies who understand this type of specialized work rigidly adhere to all the protocols. Taking into consideration the safety of the public, government requirements and client’s needs, they produce products and components that are:
- Functional
- Efficient
- Cost-effective
- Sanitary Antimicrobial and anti-thrombogenic
- Anti-Allergenic
- Friction reductive
- Biocompatible
- Corrosion resistant
Medical device coatings, whether gold, silver, nickel, titanium or other suitable material, must comply, meeting all demands if the goal is to be met. Providing the right type of coating for each device is challenging. This requires companies to know the product, its purpose and requirements of each medical device.
Medical Devices
The number of diverse medical devices requiring specific coatings is extensive. Among the list, are those provided below:
- Arthroscopic and Endoscopic components and tools
- Battery Contacts
- Catheters – ProPlate plates braided catheters and other catheter devices
- Connectors
- Cryogenic Pumps
- Dental arch wires
- Dental brackets
- Electrical contacts
- Forceps – ProPlate is known for its coating of Bi-Polar Forceps
- Guide wires
- Hearing aids
- Implants
- Insulin pumps
- Marker bands
- Particle accelerators
- Radiation focus plates
- Radiological vessels
- Sensors
- Stents
- Surgical Instruments
- Tubes
Medical Device Coatings
Preparing medical devices for use in dental and medical fields is challenging. Standards require they adhere to the regulations of government while manufacturers are concerned with production costs. ProPlate with its experience and expertise in this field perform medical device coatings with a skill that ensures that all needs are met.
