Polyzen Offers New Coating Process

Polyzen Inc. has developed proprietary dip and spray coating processes that the company claims will enhance product performance.

Coatings are composed of polymer solutions that act as suspending agents for additives to either cover or modify a surface depending on the functional design of the medical device. The coatings enhance a medical device or component by increasing lubricity, decreasing tackiness, altering surface energy for ink adhesion applications, surface cleaning, or any other type of surface modification, according to Polyzen.

The dip coating and spray coating process is suitable for applying polymer coatings on myriad multifunctional devices and components such as stents, guidewires, sensors, wire cages, scope tubing, films and medical balloons.

Company official say that the firm’s capabilities go beyond creating a thin layered polymeric film that encapsulates the device or component either internally, externally or point-specific. Polyzen’s experience enables molding or coating a device in thickness ranges of 1-5 mils (0.001” to 0.005”) with further capabilities of going in the micron range for isolated dosage of a coating or additive on the device.

The dip molding process is cost-effective for low-volume production of thin film products, offering consistent wall thickness and uniformity, relatively low tooling costs, and fast set-up for new product development, according to a release issued by the Raleigh, N.C.-based company. Coatings are applied to medical devices and components using two main processes, dip and spray. The spray coating process is advantageous for delivering isolated doses of a coating or additive to any device while maintaining control over dispersion rate.

Polyzen provides services for device manufacturers including dip and blow molding, thin film RF welding, extrusion, thermo/vacuum forming, and catheter and device assembly.