Creating high-precision balloons and balloon catheters
The effectiveness of minimally invasive procedures (diagnostic and therapeutic) has influenced medical practice in cardiology, neurology, nephrology and many other medical disciplines. Devices such as the balloon catheter can travel through minute blood vessels without disturbing the natural shape of the vessels. It is widely used to deliver stents, open blockages, dilating vessels and much more. The balloon set on the catheter is controlled by the physician and made to inflate at the clogged site. While the material selection is crucial, the manufacturing process with equipment is equally critical to form the highest quality balloon catheters. Balloon catheters provide an ideal platform for deploying flexible circuit combinations, which enables the development of novel techniques. The high precision manufacturing process involves extrusion of the balloon material into the shape of a tube. The circumference can vary from a few microns to a couple of millimeters. This is followed by the balloon forming process or blow molding.
The raw materials, design and manufacturing techniques are unique for the balloon and its use. Balloons can be non-compliant, semi-compliant or compliant. Each type is made from a different material. The CM must pay careful attention to performance characteristics influencing the design and manufacturing technique. These include: the time required to inflate and deflate the balloon, the catheter’s tracking ability to advance through complex pathways, and the insertion profile.
Quasar’s expert product engineers and materials specialists ensure that the manufacturing process consistently delivers the highest quality products. We ensure that the right mix of parameters such as the gear pump setting, temperature profile, tooling specifications, geometric considerations and degree of crystallization are used. Specialized metal braiding techniques and patterns offer precise catheter torque manipulation. We provide cutting edge materials, micro assembly lines capable of handling diameters less than 10 microns, and embedded electronics capabilities to be used in conjunction with balloon catheters.
Quasar takes immense care to adhere to regulatory compliances and standards, which is why we also provide prototyping and pre-production testing that eliminates production issues at later stages. This result is higher overall cost savings for customers and a higher, more consistent quality of products delivered within shorter timelines. We deliver top-quality and reliable fabrication of detailed parts that perform exceptionally in the medical field.
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