Building It Better — One Component At A Time

Argon Medical Devices has long been recognized as a leader in the design and manufacturing of disposable medical devices used in interventional, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. A closer look at three specific areas reveal how innovation can lead to improved performance, ease of use and patient experiences.

HYDROPHILIC COATINGS

Friction-reducing coatings facilitate the insertion of devices. Because blood becomes tacky while a device is in the artery or the vein, an inferior coating can lead to less than optimal performance.

One of the original medical device coatings, Polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) has the unique property of providing a low-friction surface in the dry state. By contrast, water-soluble polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) absorb aqueous liquids to make the surface slippery when wet. PVP is used in Argon Medical’s SLIP-COAT™, resulting in devices that are more lubricious than those with PTFE coatings.

SLIP-COAT is ideal for devices that require specific levels of lubricity, as well as length of time the device needs to remain lubricious. This makes SLIP-COAT an exceptional solution for manufacturers of vascular devices.

GUIDEWIRES

As a leading innovator in standard PTFE-coated guidewires, Argon manufactures a variety of pre-coated wires that feature reduced friction and color-coated straighteners for easier placement.

Argon Custom Products Solutions offers Amplatz PTFE-coatings, which reduce friction along the guidewire, as well as offering increased stiffness without compromising tip flexibility. Additionally Nitinol guidewires — available with tungsten, platinum or palladium tips — increase both strength and malleability, and provide 1:1 torque control and kink-resistance for navigating tortuous anatomy.

BONE NEEDLES

Procedural outcome, ease of use and patient comfort are greatly impacted by three key factors: needle point geometry, cannula design and handle ergonomics.

Needle point geometry has a considerable impact on insertion force and patient comfort in bone access and bone marrow harvest procedures. Argon offers a variety of point geometries, such as the double-diamond point designed to enable easy penetration of hard bone.

Cannula design also impacts performance. Argon designs tubes and wires to strengthen the hub bond. Other modifications enable the cannula to capture outstanding quality bone marrow specimens. Ergonomic handle designs can greatly improve control and comfort, while custom colors and pad-printed logos help build brand awareness.

BUILD IT BETTER

For clients in need of product development, contract manufacturing or off-the-shelf medical devices, Argon Custom Product Solutions offers the expertise and capabilities needed to achieve their specific benchmarks for performance, flexibility and ease of use.

For more information on Argon Custom Product Solutions, contact us at [email protected] or visit argonmedicalcps.com.