Medical Device Coatings

Thermal Spray Technologies offers several coatings for the medical industry. These coatings are used in variety of applications. In each application our understanding of materials engineering is used to provide the exact coating properties required for the application. Thermal spray medical device coatings can be found in electrosurgical instruments, X-ray and MRI machines, and dental and orthopedic implants, prosthetics, etc.

Dielectric Coatings

Dielectric coatings are used in medical devices that require electrical insulation. Medical devices such as mono- and bi-polar surgical instruments are examples of where thermal sprayed dielectric coatings can be found. Thermal spray technologies offers dielectric coatings with dielectric strengths ranging from 300-1100 Volts/mil. These coatings are typically very dense, containing less than 1% porosity and also have very high bond strengths. They can be deposited onto almost all metallic materials.

Bi-polar electrical surgical device coated with dielectric coating

EMI/ RFI Shielding

Complex electronic medical equipment can be very sensitive to electromagnetic and radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI). In order to protect these sensitive medical devices Thermal Spray Technologies provides different electrically conductive coatings to provide EMI and RFI shielding. These coatings can be applied onto a variety of materials including many plastics, carbon fiber composites and fiberglass.

Bio-Compatible Coatings

Medical implants such as orthopedic and dental implants are commonly coated with thermal spray materials to help the human body accept and attach the medical implant. Coatings such as porous titanium and dense hydroxyapatite are two commonly used materials for these applications. Other coating materials are also being developed to help improve the life of implants by providing excellent wear resistance and biocompatibility.

Orthopedic implant

Tissue Grip

Thermal spray technology produces many coatings used for providing traction and grip control. These coatings can be produced in wide ranges of surface roughness and can be created with several different materials. Surgical instruments use these coatings to enable the instrument to grip tissue. These grip coatings can also be produced with release agents to help in the release of the tissue when griping is no longer desired.