A failed experiment led to the accidental discovery of the multipurpose materials that we call fluoropolymers. Due to their suitability for a wide range of applications, they have seamlessly made their way in different industrial sectors. PTFE Teflon Tubing, one of the most popular versions of fluoropolymers is successfully used in the medical device sector. The first Teflon tubing was obtained by extruding PTFE above a wire and later pulling the wire out, a process that is highly labor-intensive process. The diameter of the interior part of the tubing depends upon the exterior diameter of the wire which was used. Around five decades back the evolution of new technology made PTFE extrusion possible without the help of a wire. This new procedure allows for the economic production of the tubing in long uninterrupted lengths.
In the medical device market, the striking properties of PTFE tubing such as biocompatibility and lubricity make it a popular component of different medical gadgets. PTFE is by far the most lubricious polymer that is available in the market with a very low frictional co-efficient. Moreover, biocompatibility is an area of significant concern when it comes to medical devices. Fluoropolymers excel in this area and are used in vivo since a long period of time.
How PTFE Teflon tubing works in the medical sector?
Most of the tubing is subjected to the process of etching and flaring before being put to use. The procedure of etching is mainly performed all along the external diameter of tubing utilized for lubricious lining in catheters. Etching specific to a particular site, mostly the tip of a catheter, can be easily obtained.
By the process of flaring and flanging, higher temperature polymers can be utilized to join polymers operating across a lower temperature.
Medical Applications
Guiding Catheter: The superior lubricity of PTFE has made it the material of choice for this application. When a guiding catheter is manufactured, PTFE is etched chemically over the exterior diameter of the tube. This process ensures the strong binding of the components to the liner's exterior diameter.
PTFE Introducer: This application utilizes a rarely found yet crucial property. PTFE can be developed in a way that enables molecular orientation of the components. In such a scenario, the tube can be divided and split longitudinally. While in use, a medical practitioner can do away with the PTFE introducer from a patient's body ensuring that the main device is in place.
Multilumen Catheter: PTFE Teflon tubing finds a good number of applications in medical devices that call for minimal invasion. The multiple passages present in the modern fluoropolymer catheters allow medical practitioners to carry out a range of processes without requiring the removal of one catheter and the insertion of another.
So, you can well understand how this fluoropolymer is beneficial for the medical sector. The need to delve into the inaccessible areas of the human body triggers an ever increasing demand within the medical community for more innovative, seamless and safer devices. In such a scenario, PTFE tubing with its high lubricity, chemical resistance and biocompatibility, paves the way for brilliant options.
