Medical PTFE is the primary fluoropolymer of choice for many medical device coating applications.  

Two Coating PTFE Systems

The GlideLine™ family of medical device coating finishes is the broadest offering of applied fluoropolymer (PTFE) coatings in the industry, customized to optimize the design, quality, and performance characteristics of your high-quality medical products. You can choose two types of medical grade fluoropolymer coating chemistries for medical devices; an aqueous-based PTFE coating and a solvent-based coating.

All PTFE is made by undergoing a free radical polymerization process combining carbon and fluorine atoms. These polymers of PTFE have very high molecular weights of long straight chain molecules of carbon and fluorine. Combine this with the fact that the carbon to fluorine bond possesses great strength, these polymers exhibit excellent low friction, release, heat resistance, and chemical resistance.

Aqueous-Based Coating Systems

The dispersion grade of PTFE resins (aqueous-based MCTPE Series) remain in a wet stage from the above polymerization process into the final liquid coating in dispersion form. Here chromic acid, surfactants and wetting agents, and pigments help promote adhesion to the substrates to which applied during the high temperature bake cycles. MCTPE Series is a zero-PFOA coating.

Solvent-Based Coating Systems

On the other hand, the solvent grade of PTFE coatings (PC 4006 Series and PC 403 Series) use a dry fully cured ground powder of PTFE. This fully cured ground micro powder of PTFE is then added to a solvent system containing a binder and pigments (no chromic acid or PFOA). Since the PTFE is already fully cured, only the final cure of the binder has to be reached in order to promote maximum adhesion to hold the PTFE particles in place. This is typically hundreds of degrees less than the dispersion grade helping to decrease oxidation of exposed metals.

The aqueous-based and solvent-based coating systems are FDA approvable and biocompatible. Please contact us for a copy of the biocompatibility studies.

The solvent-based coating systems (PC 4006 and PC 8-403) are zero-PFOA and chromic acid free.MCTPE Series, PC 8-403 Series and PC 4006 and can withstand 500° F continuous operating temperatures with intermittent 600° F. See Coating Reference Guide.

Guide Wires/Core Wires

Medical device wires requiring Precision Coatings’ PTFE coatings are predominantly made of stainless steel. These wires demand low friction coatings with good adhesion and tightly controlled tolerances. Substrates can vary from a single non-ground to multi-diameter ground wires that require extensive masking.

There are no limits to the incoming wire diameter that can be PTFE coated.

Our innovative, proprietary, high-quality, low friction medical grade PTFE coatings are used extensively on core wires.

Benefits of our core wire PTFE coating services include:

• Multiple color options. The most common color is green, but black, blue, gray, brown, and natural (un-pigmented) medical device coatings are also available.
• Expert engineering assistance. As a complementary service, our engineering department is always on-hand to help you specify before- and after-coating tolerances and specifications.

Hypotubes

When applying PTFE coatings to hypotubes, there are no outside diameter limits. Lengths vary from 2 cm to 300 cm.
Benefits of our hypotube coating service include:

• Low friction coating. Hypotubes can be coated in black, blue, or green PTFE coatings for low friction. We offer low-cure versions that do not oxidize the outer diameter (OD) or inner diameter (ID), eliminating the need for post-tarnish removal.
• Selective area coating. Selective coating of areas or masking of non-coated marker band surfaces is well within our capabilities.

Forming Mandrels

There are no limits on the mandrels that we can coat. Typically, mandrels are made from stainless steel or nitinol, which can be straight or of multi-shaped configurations. We can also add our medical device coatings to multi-diameter mandrels with masking of any designated surface.

Benefits of our forming mandrel coating services include:

• Low-friction coating. We apply coatings that offer low friction and easy release.
• Variety of coatings to choose from. Coating materials range from PTFE, FEP, and PFA.

Stylets

Stylets come in all shapes and sizes with various diameter grinds throughout. Precision Coating has developed specific fixturing and masking techniques to provide exact coating deposition throughout the length of the sytlet.

Benefits of our Stylet coating service include:

• Low friction coating. Stylets can be coated in black, blue, or green PTFE coatings for low friction.
• Selective area coating. Selective coating of areas or masking of non-coated marker band surfaces is well within our capabilities.

Other Medical Device Products

Precision Coating has extensive experience with a variety of medical device products. They come in all types of shapes and sizes and present unique coating challenges. The following is a sample of the types of products we coat.

• Needles – electromyography (EMG) electrodes are coated with PTFE to provide electrical insulation and low friction.
• Surgical tools – many components of surgical tools are coated with PTFE to improve the mechanical properties of the tool.

Medical FEP

Precision Coating offers a solvent grade of FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene) coatings (PC 9020) for those applications that require exceptional release (non-stick) properties. FEP differs from PTFE in that it is melt-processible and requires a different fixturing protocol to apply to medical grade wire.

PC 9020 Series coatings are zero-PFOA and chromic acid free. PC 9020 Series can withstand 400° F continuous operating temperatures with intermittent 500° F.

For a guide to coating selections, see the Coating Reference Guide.