Choosing the Right Lubricious Coating for Medical Devices

Choosing the Right Lubricious Coating for Medical Devices

So, you are trying to make a medical device that slides in and out of places it shouldn’t normally go. Well, it is a little more complicated.

You will need a coating that is right. It is like choosing a perfect outfit that looks good, feels great, and is totally compatible with your party theme.

Here, the party is your patient’s body. You will need an ideal coating – something slippery but safe, strong, and not dissolve in your body.

Factors to consider while choosing the right lubricous coating

Feel of touching

First, you have got to think about the feel of touching. Is it metal, plastic or something else? The lubricious medical device coatings have to play nice with whatever it is stuck to.

You don’t want it to peel off or worse still, react with base material and cause problems. You can contact Hydromer’s research and development team to find the right solution.

For more than 40 years in tailoring the right coating for their customers project success across a variety of industries.

There is the electrical stuff to consider. Pacemakers or defibrillators have electricity running through them. Wrong selection of coating can mess with it.

It needs to be sufficiently strong to handle what the device is purposed to do. Plus it shouldn’t build up static charge, which can be an issue in certain situations.

Environment

The device is not going to hang out in a nice, cozy, sterile lab. It is going to swim around in the patient’s blood, guts or other bodily fluids.

And don’t forget the temperature and pH levels that can impact the coating. Human body is good in regulating itself, but there are still fluctuations.

The coatings need to:

  • Deal with a little warming and cooling without losing its slickness, cracking or peeling.
  • Be waterproof, sweatproof, and even tearproof.

It cannot throw a hissy fit every time it meets salt or sugar. Choose one that can withstand all these variations.

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Slipperiness

You want something that glides on the ice like a seal, but without the entire Antarctic environment.

  • Too much friction and your tissues can get damaged or the device may get stuck.
  • Too little and it may not work as intended.

It also needs to be tough as it is going to rub against tissues, maybe even bones. It cannot leave residue behind or leach chemicals everywhere.

Imagine if your favourite pair of jeans left blue stains everywhere – not cool. Similarly, if the coating started to dissolve and release toxic stuff – very bad!

Choosing the Right Lubricious Coating for Medical Devices1

So what other options?

There is Teflon, like the classic non-stick coating. It is good at repelling stuff, but is not the best choice for medical devices.

Silicone is another popular one. It is soft, flexible, and biocompatible. But it is prone to sticking under certain conditions.

Fortunately, there are hydrogels and polymer blends that are specifically developed for medical applications.

Choosing the right coating is like choosing a robust sentinel for your medical device. It needs to be smart, strong, and capable to deal with anything thrown its way.

So, take your time, do your research and find the perfect match. Your device and your patients will thank you!

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