Catheter Jacketing
After braiding reinforcement has been added to the catheter shaft during construction, a jacketing material is then placed over the braiding, typically made of a polymer such as nylon, polyurethane, or Pebax®. The key feature of the jacket is that it must be bondable to the underlying liner. A heat shrinkable fusing sleeve is then put over the jacket and is heated to reflow (melt) the jacket material through the braid onto the outer diameter of the liner. Once reflow is complete, the fusing sleeve is peeled away leaving a liner-braiding-jacket bonded tri-layer to create a completed catheter shaft.
Pebax® Jackets
Pebax® is a highly preferred family of materials for catheter jacketing because its polyether-block-amide composition supports easier customization. The customizable nature of the Pebax® family surpasses nearly all other thermoplastic elastomers allowing properties such as hardness, chemical resistance, and even processing to be fine-tuned. Pebax® is a low-density, low-weight alternative to rubbers and other thermoplastics.
Key Benefits:
- Low Melt Temperature
- Bondable – Heat, RF Weld, Adhesive
- Class VI Approved Resins Available
Pebax® is sterilizable by multiple methods including steam, ETO, and gamma. The combination of useful properties, such as pushability and flexibility, as well as tailorability of the Pebax® family, makes it useful in catheter construction applications.
Capabilities:
- Shore D Hardness 25 – 69
- Available In Multiple Colors
- Customizable
Radiopaque fillers are available to satisfy visualization requirements of the finished device. Other fillers are also available to further customize mechanical, bonding, or other properties.