PTFE Glass for Life-Saving Interventions
Since the 1950s, cardiovascular-related deaths in the United States have trended downward steadily. Even though cardiovascular diseases are still one of the leading causes of death, medical innovations have played a key role in decreasing the disease burden. One such advancement is the application of PTFE coatings in medical devices, with the first approved use of the compound dating back to the 1960s as it became commercialized. Its inherent chemical properties made it an excellent candidate for use with other advancements like CT imaging and coronary angioplasty.
The Benefits of PTFE Glass Over Conventional Mandrels
As an alternative to PTFE-coated stainless steel, PTFE glass produces consistent, smooth catheters perfect for structural heart applications. Here’s where it stands out:
- Contamination-free: PTFE-coated stainless-steel mandrels can impart and peel, introducing contaminations into the final product. In contrast, PTFE glass-filled mandrels are incredibly consistent and eliminate contamination risk.
- Fast and cost-effective: Traditional stainless-steel mandrels hold lengthy lead times and can be very expensive due to the raw materials and manufacturing process. PTFE glass, on the other hand, is significantly cheaper and can be produced more quickly.
- Highly lubricious: Even before applying a high-performance ground finish, PTFE glass can be removed easily, even when elongated. This is even possible in difficult-to-extract materials like nylon; PTFE glass can be removed in seconds without damaging the device.
- Temperature tolerance: PTFE glass can withstand high temperatures up to 260ºC/500ºF, making the material excellent for high-temperature applications.
PTFE Glass from MCS
PTFE glass is often used in catheter-forming mandrels because of its excellent properties. Since cardiac catheterization is a common procedure in cardiovascular medicine, catheter-forming mandrels are a necessity. PTFE glass results in mandrels that are incredibly precise and can be used in most applications where a stainless-steel mandrel with PTFE coating is usually used.
Medical Component Specialists can help with all your medical equipment needs, specifically with PTFE glass. With over 60 years of grinding craftsmanship, MCS has the experience and expertise to provide you with the highest-quality medical components on the market.
This expertise allows us to apply steps, tapers, slots, or other custom mandrels, typically delivered in less than two weeks, not months. Or choose from the many products available for next-day shipping in our Quick Ship Program, such as our Structural Heart kit.
MCS’s master grinding capabilities ensure precision and unsurpassed quality, while CNC machining enables high-volume production to suit our customers’ diverse needs. With full in-line production capabilities and ISO 13485 certification, MCS has quickly become a preferred supplier of precision medical components to Medical OEMs worldwide.
Whether you need a custom mandrel for a specific application or simply want the highest quality PTFE glass-filled mandrel available, contact MCS today and try our PTFE glass products.
