Putnam Plastics Corporation, a PolyMedex Discovery Group
company and leader in advanced extrusions for minimally invasive medical
devices, has eliminated the traditional hand lay-up manufacturing process of
medical guide catheter shafts with their new Tri-Tie™ extrusion technology. Putnam’s
continuous technology builds the three-layer composite shafts without manual assembly
and staff, resulting in improved product reliability and lower cost.
Guide catheters are commonly used to access endovascular
sites and deliver balloons, stents, guide wires, contrast media and other
devices. These catheters are costly and challenging to manufacture due to
complex shaft requirements, which include a lubricious inner layer, a braided
stainless steel middle layer, and a variable durometer outer layer. Product
performance can vary due to poor bonding between the layers and at the union of
the outer layer segments, where hinge points occur.
Putnam Plastics’ Tri-Tie extrusion technology eliminates
traditional manual assembly of multiple components with proprietary, continuous
processing that creates a three-layer composite shaft with maximum adhesion
between the layers for improved performance. It also provides a more gradual
transition of the varying durometer outer layer without bonding or hinge
points.
“Tri-Tie guide catheter shaft manufacturing rethinks the
conventional approach to achieve a more integrated and reliable component,”
said Ray Rilling, Director of R&D at Putnam. “While the technologies and
materials used for this process have a proven track record in vascular catheter
applications, the combination of these technologies in a single component is a
hallmark of Putnam’s innovative manufacturing approach.”
For more information on Tri-Tie extrusion technology, please
visit www.putnamplastics.com.