Medical devices are often coated in special chemicals that make them non-abrasive. This decreases a patient’s discomfort, and helps devices last longer.

Written by: Denton Vacuum, LLC

Medical devices are designed to be non-invasive, assisting the patient without causing too much discomfort. To that end, ion beam deposition and other systems are used to apply a microscopic layer of chemical coating to these devices. That process helps medical technology stay at the cutting edge, helping doctors accomplish more in patient care without expensive and dangerous surgery.

Coating Importance

Medical device manufacturers use something called a sputter deposition systemto apply a thin film coating to the implants and devices they create. This coating helps implants seamlessly fit into a patient’s body, without causing extreme discomfort that would come with more abrasive devices. IT is also beneficial for substrates that can be harmed at high temperatures, like plastics, as the process is conducted at room temperature once the substrate has been super heated. The thin film is also important because it allows more precision in the instruments created.

Everyday Applications

Device manufacturers use e-beam evaporation in a variety of products already in use today. For one, imaging machines that use semiconductors to power themselves rely on thin film coatings to create a surface that is highly conductive to electricity. Implants like catheters get coated with a slick substance that allows medical professionals to quickly insert or remove these devices as required for patient care. Even color coded instruments, which must be easily identifiable, are treated with these chemicals to prevent harmful dyes from leaking into the blood stream.

Medical science continues to evolve, powered by microscopic advances in the field of sputtering.