“ModCath has been in development for about a year,” Mark Saab, president of Vention’s Advanced Polymers division, told Medical Product Outsourcing. “Vention, through its Advanced Polymers location, has been selling stock balloons for many years.Customers were constantly making requests for stock balloons to be assembled into full balloon catheters. ModCath was created by taking advantage of the broader capabilities that Vention Medical has added to the balloon technology offering. These capabilities include additional components, such as extrusions, and the ability to assemble finished balloon catheters, in both low and high volumes. By collaborating across multiple areas of expertise, Vention Medical is now able to create many types of finished balloon catheters that meet the market needs of our customers.”
ModCath is hoped to accelerate the research and development process and early-stage evaluation of prototypes for proof of concept, dramatically reducing development costs, shrinking project timelines and ultimately, speeding time to market.
“In the past, engineers had to either cobble together components in the lab, or wait months to get a costly, custom-built catheter,” Saab said “Now, they have a faster, easier way to test prototypes and speed time to proof of concept.”
ModCath eliminates the need for customers to invest in custom balloons and extrusions in the early stages of a design project. The catheters can be made on extremely small volume. Vention claims that customers can order as few as 10 catheters per design.
The online tool allows customers to select the balloon diameter and balloon working length in millimeters. Once selected, the customer then can select either nylon or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) as the material. The tool then advises which guidewire size is compatible with the customer’s selection, and provides an estimate of how long the order will take to deliver. Certain standard sizes can be delivered in two weeks, but most balloons will take between four to six weeks to deliver. Saab told MPO that as time goes by, more options will be able to be turned around in the two week time frame.
According to Saab, customers have responded well to the new tool, particularly the quick turnaround time. “Early-stage concept iteration is something that is important to our customers and this quick turn prototype option allows them to own the design process and iterate real time for the features that are important to them, speeding up development timelines,” he explained. “Customers love the online feature which avoids delays associated with the quoting process and lead times associated with traditional custom tooling and ordering. People are very excited that we are continuing to expand this offering to give them more and more options moving forward.”
ModCath prototypes are designed for use in research and development of balloon catheters for coronary and peripheral angioplasty, stent delivery and other dilatation procedures.
“In the near future, we expect to be adding low pressure, compliant balloon catheters, as well as larger diameter, higher pressure balloons,” said Saab. “Additional materials, such as urethane, will also be added, as well as a rapid exchange over-the-wire option. We are also actively seeking input from our customers through the survey process. This feedback will drive our internal focus as we develop and expand our future ModCath offerings.
Vention Medical’s Advanced Polymers division is based in Salem, N.H. The company’s locations throughout the United States, Ireland, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica provide design and manufacturing services for medical devices.