Niki Arrowsmith06.19.13
South Jordan, Utah-based Merit Medical Systems Inc., a maker of proprietary disposable devices used primarily in cardiology, radiology and endoscopy, has opened a hypotube manufacturing center of excellence in Galway, Ireland. The center includes best-in-class design and production systems and advanced equipment and controls for producing customized hypotubes for various uses, including percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty balloon catheters. The Merit Hypotube is sold by Merit Medical’s coatings division.
“We’ve been coating and supplying hypotubes to the medical device OEM industry for many years,” said Fred P. Lampropoulos, Chairman and CEO of Merit Medical Systems, Inc. “We made a commitment to become one of the world’s leading hypotube manufacturers and have invested in the new equipment and expertise to do so.”
According to Merit, the capabilities of the new center of excellence include the newest and most precise laser-cutting machines available for custom spiral-cutting, skive-cutting and slot-cutting; laser ablation machines for non-contact removal of coating from the hypotube surface; leak testing at higher pressures; laser welding including seam-welding and point-welding of stylets; an advanced, controlled inspection process to inspect the full diameter and length of tubes; a cleaning process that does not require harsh chemicals; passivation to add resistance to corrosion; and higher production capacity. The capabilities all build on Merit Medical Coating’s polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) wire and hypotube coating platform technologies. The company also has added a new customer-focused team to drive development, partnership and supply.
Merit Medical Coatings makes medical device components including hypotube/catheter shafts, guidewire components, needles and mandrels. It works with customers on custom solutions from the design phase through finishing details including coiling, laser cutting and ablation.
“We’ve been coating and supplying hypotubes to the medical device OEM industry for many years,” said Fred P. Lampropoulos, Chairman and CEO of Merit Medical Systems, Inc. “We made a commitment to become one of the world’s leading hypotube manufacturers and have invested in the new equipment and expertise to do so.”
According to Merit, the capabilities of the new center of excellence include the newest and most precise laser-cutting machines available for custom spiral-cutting, skive-cutting and slot-cutting; laser ablation machines for non-contact removal of coating from the hypotube surface; leak testing at higher pressures; laser welding including seam-welding and point-welding of stylets; an advanced, controlled inspection process to inspect the full diameter and length of tubes; a cleaning process that does not require harsh chemicals; passivation to add resistance to corrosion; and higher production capacity. The capabilities all build on Merit Medical Coating’s polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) wire and hypotube coating platform technologies. The company also has added a new customer-focused team to drive development, partnership and supply.
Merit Medical Coatings makes medical device components including hypotube/catheter shafts, guidewire components, needles and mandrels. It works with customers on custom solutions from the design phase through finishing details including coiling, laser cutting and ablation.