Styrenic TPE Compounds: Growth Drivers & Challenges in Medical Applications
Over the past three decades, regulatory and market drivers, as well as cost pressures, have continued to generate a material choice discussion between polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and rubber materials.

Tubing for Hemodialysis Pumps
Hemodialysis is the dominant form of treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease, particularly in countries that offer accessibility to dialysis clinics. This more common form of treatment, as compared to daily peritoneal dialysis, will continue to expand with the advent of home treatment hemodialysis

The Advantages of Ultra High Barrier PVDC Coated PVC Films
With pharmaceutical companies constantly looking for ways to improve their product packaging with performance-driven, cost-effective solutions, there is an alternative to traditional structures that is making its way into the main stream. Super barrier coated (SBC) films should be taken into consideration for

Case Study: Tekni-Plex Solves Material Supply Problem for Contract Packager; Helps Expand Applications
Sourcing blister packaging materials from Asia was resulting in long lead times, high air freight costs and inability to solve a broad range of packaging challenges

Case Study: Tekni-Plex Medical IV Tubing Solution Helps Protect Healthcare Professionals, While Providing Needed Therapy to COVID-19 Patients
Tekni-Plex harnesses global manufacturing footprint to provide tubing ASAP

SafeT™ Stopcocks Lipid Compatibility
The need for a more reliable stopcock increases in an ever-advancing industry objective towards a safer and efficient care-giving environment. Addressing lipid-induced cracking is one way to reach this objective. Lipid induced cracks and leakages are considered under-reported adverse events or mistakenly attr

Clinical Study using Marvelous Stopcock
Elcam creates products to minimize infection as noted in the paper by Randy Loftus, MD, et. al, published in the November 2012 issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia using the Ultraport

Elcam Medical’s New & Innovative Minimal Residual Volume Luer Activated Stopcock
Catheter Related Blood Stream Infections (CRBSI) are a well-known and increasingly disturbing problem in hospitals, especially in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and other units utilizing catheters and their accessories for patient care. Reducing the risk of microbial colonization and proliferation on stopcock

Case Study: Forefront Medical Technology Helps COVID-19 Related Products Get to Market
Around the world, companies and research institutions are developing products used in the fight against COVID-19. In Singapore, Forefront Medical Technology, a specialty contract manufacturer with a focus in disposable diagnostic, drug delivery systems and medical device systems, is helping to commercializ

Case Study: Eliminating Hidden Costs in Outsourcing
Outsourcing discussions often focus on manufacturing capabilities or regional labor costs. However, that narrow focus often allows hidden costs related to transactional redundancies and other inefficiencies to slip in. In this case study, Forefront Medical Technology, a specialty contract manufacturer with

Is Singapore a Good Option for Your Medical Product Development Strategy?
While an innovative, market differentiating approach is critical to achieving competitive advantage and dominant market share, it isn’t the only critical element in new product development. Market timing, quality and cost are also in the mix. The question becomes: “what is the right strategy to achieve op

Surface Treating Comparison Chart & Tech Paper
Ultimately your application’s requirements will define which technology is best for you. Enercon can compare various plasma & flame surface treating technologies for your application in our lab, and we can run trials in your facility to prove which is best for you. In this document we’ll share in

What Plasma Does to a Surface to Improve Adhesion
Plasma surface treatment is used to improve a surface’s receptiveness to adhesives, inks, paints & coatings. Three distinct surface modification processes occur simultaneously when exposing a surface to plasma treatment: Cleaning, Etching & Functionalizing.

Corona vs. Plasma Technical Bulletin
What is the difference between corona and plasma? The context of this question is important as some industries have adopted unique definitions of each term. In this article, Enercon explains the similarities and differences of corona & plasma and types of in-line plasma technologies offered.

Design for Manufacturability: Avoiding Costly Mistakes
Most whitepapers focused on design for manufacturability (DFM) look exclusively at specific issues related to printed circuit board (PCB) layout. However, many decisions made in product design above and beyond PCB layout, from schedule milestones to material selection can impact cost to manufacture and def

Material Selection & Thin-Wall Micromolding Study
This study tackles one of the most widely asked questions of Accumold, resin selection assistance. This study shows how, in terms of micro-molding, picking resins based on data sheets can be misleading or confusing. It’s important to consult with your molder when designing parts that may be considered ou

Finding the Optimal Metal Tubing for Medical and Critical Applications
Selecting the best alloy for a tubing application can be a daunting task considering the wide variety of stainless steel and metal alloys available. The chromium in stainless steel forms a coherent passive oxide film and oxygen barrier, which imparts corrosion resistance. All stainless steels contain at least

Identification of Adhesive Formulations Minimally Effected by E-Beam Sterilization
A selection of medical/skin adhesives were coated onto substrates and physical properties (Shear, Adhesion to Release, 180° Peel and MVTR) tested before and after exposure to e-beam sterilization of 27 and 40 kGy. Of the four adhesives tested, two displayed a much lower effect from e-beam exposure than the ot

Evaluation of the Wear Duration of Acrylic Wearable Device Adhesives on Healthy Human Volunteers
Healthy Human wear studies were performed using different formulations of acrylic adhesives on substrates (non-woven polyester, LDPE film, PU film and PU foam) to evaluate the wear durations of the different combinations. Differences in wear durations were seen depending on the identity of the adhesive and th

Cox Manufacturing: Advancing A Legacy of Delivering Confidence
When William T. “Bill” Cox, Jr. talks about his business, the conversation turns easily and naturally to the Cox Manufacturing Company’s watchword – Cox delivers confidence – and the Tornos technologies that help him make good on that promise every day. (from deco magazine - March 2017)

Piezo Technology in Pneumatic Valves
Compared to traditional solenoid valves, piezo valves are lightweight, precise and energy efficient. These advantages make them ideal for many critical applications—from semiconductor manufacturing to laboratory automation. This white paper explores piezo valves in greater detail, including valve design princ

Four Key Dynamics Driving Effective Outsourcing Decision-Making for Lab Automation OEMs
Lab automation OEMs need to maintain flexible outsourcing strategies—enabling them to better accommodate and respond to new operating and market needs. This white paper explores the four factors that can impact and change outsourcing strategies: economic rationales, accelerating innovations, supply chain v

Five Ways Outsourcing with A U.S. EMS Provider Can Save You Money
Outsourcing is never a one size fits all strategy. While SigmaTron International operates a global network of electronics manufacturing services (EMS) facilities, its team recognizes that many projects have unique characteristics that align best with a specific region. This whitepaper looks at five ways

Offshore, Nearshore or Onshore: What Makes Best Sense for Your Project?
SigmaTron International's latest whitepaper looks at manufacturing sourcing strategy and the factors that influence whether offshore, nearshore or onshore represents the best option based on different product characteristics.

Working Smarter: Four Areas Your Contract Manufacturer Should Support
If you aren’t leveraging the manufacturing and product commercialization expertise your contract manufacturer has to offer, chances are your company is not unlocking the full value of a strong outsourcing partnership. SigmaTron International, a contract manufacturer with a global network of facilities in

Endocrine Disruptors in Medical Devices: An Integrated Approach for Compliance with Regulatory Requirements
The goal of the present paper is to propose a systematic, standard workflow for the safety assessment of endocrine disruptors through the understanding of what EDCs are, where they are found and how to mitigate their exposure via the performance of the biological evaluation of MDs, followed by the evaluat

Sterility Testing of Medical Devices: An Overview
A sterile medical device is one that is free from viable microorganisms. Medical devices produced under standard manufacturing conditions in accordance with the requirements for Quality Management Systems (QMS) may have microorganisms present on and/or within them prior to sterilization (non-sterile products)

Insights into in-vitro Hemocompatibility testing according to ISO 10993-4
Hemocompatibility testing of blood-contacting medical devices is one of the most important criteria for successful clinical application.

Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices as an Essential Part of Risk Management Process: Updates and Challenges of ISO 10993-1:2018
In August 2018, a new version of ISO 10993-1 was published, which highlighted the importance of gaining deeper knowledge of the device. In the new version of the standard, not all biological effects should be assessed by biological testing. Some tests can now be waived if there is a sound rationale to support

Medical Device Extractables and Leachables Testing in 2020
The world of physics has a foundation built on beautiful universal constants which work they way steadfastly into the equations governing electrodynamics, and the further extend themselves into our very hands in the design of smart interconnected electrical devices that are commonplace to modern life.