Stents, Catheters, & Delivery Systems

The use of catheters and stents in both medical procedures and in ongoing medical care is so pervasive that many people take these devices for granted. While the basic concept of tubes that can be used to deliver fluids or assist in surgical procedures there is a host of unique and significant design factors that can be folded into an otherwise simple device to create benefits for specific applications. The complexity of these unique applications like when multi-fold spring steel catheters are designed to have extreme strength and flexibility, ore coated in compounds or pharmaceuticals are designed to promote tissue growth or prevent bleeding, or catheters are coated with fine particles or complex polymers to prevent microbes or toxins being introduced into a patient will require rigorous analysis, when there are more complex elements in play.

 

EMSL is well suited to the task of assisting researchers, engineers, and medical professionals in the design and analysis of such devices. We have a variety of abilities to perform mechanical stress and strain testing, fatigue testing, and mechanical documentation of devices – and in most cases, these tests can be performed on samples that have undergone chemical exposure, simulated tissue tests, or aggressive aging simulation. ESML can perform full, certified alloy analysis and verification, as well as examination of polymers, pharmaceutical agents, and composites. Surface analysis for roughness, reactivity, and surface coatings are routine. We perform cross sections from whole device mechanical polishing, through narrow cryo-microtomes that can be used for examination of sub-surface structure. Materials can even be examined to determine aging characteristics, and surfaces can be tested for anti-microbial properties.

 

When you partner with EMSL, you are partnering with a laboratory network with significant experience, dedicated to supporting your investigations. We can offer rapid investigation of variations in designs and treatments for devices in development, as well as support analysis of devices that may have failed in testing – or in the field. Call or email us, and we can talk to you about your applications, and speak to you about how we can support your goals and commitment to quality.