Angiography (Diagnostic) – When visualization is of primary importance, such as in angiography, our catheter components are chemically unreactive not only with the body but also with dyes commonly used for contrast material.

Angioplasty – Balloon catheter procedures focused on widening narrow biological passages have a variety of roles in health care. Whether for angioplasty, drug delivery, or stent and scaffold deployment, Zeus catheter componentry is continuously being improved to meet the evolving technological needs for the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Atherectomy (Ablation) – For specialized applications where the atherosclerotic plaque has become calcified, these unique catheter assemblies require optimized flexibility and control. Zeus catheter components provide the insulation, wall strength, tight tolerances, and pushability needed for these procedures.

Bioresorbable Scaffolds – Zeus’ Absorv™ bioabsorbable extrusions can safely exist in the body for controlled lengths of time before being absorbed naturally by the body. These synthetic polyester polymer products are typically made from PLLA, PGA, or PCL and provide an excellent alternative to traditional polymer tubing or metals. Absorv™ can be extruded in tubular geometries for use in the vasculature, as monofilament, and as sheets.

Delivery Catheters – These devices are similar to guiding catheters in construction but are designed to pass through them to deliver therapies. These catheters deliver such state-of-the-art treatments as artificial heart valves to pacemakers using Zeus ultra-thin PTFE liners. These liners are among the thinnest in the industry, allowing for a larger lumen or a reduced overall profile. With our non-metallic braid options, such as LCP, multi-durometer jacket materials, and customized heat shrinks, our catheter components allow you to design your optimum next-generation solution.

Guiding Catheters – Guide catheters use our ultra-thin PTFE liners on the inside diameter (ID) for an exceptionally lubricious working channel. This braided catheter is typically coated with a multi-durometer outer jacket reflowed with our FEP heat shrink or FluoroPEELZ™ peelable heat shrink.

Guide Wire Coverings – These heat shrink coverings can be tailored according to diameter and taper, and color and striping can also be added to aid visibility. These coverings provide high lubricity for smooth tracking in anatomical spaces.

Imaging – From angiograms to intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to optical coherence tomography (OCT), Zeus catheter componentry helps improve the ability of imaging catheters to navigate tortuous anatomical spaces for proper image acquisition and characterization of plaque. Our drawn fiber and other monofilaments – including our liquid crystal polymer (LCP) –  are an excellent replacement for metals where certain applications preclude these materials, such as MRI.

Introducer Sheaths – These devices provide the means for getting your intervention where it is needed. For catheter and instrument introduction, our sheath construction components (including peel-away heat shrink and conventional tubing) provide lubricity and flexibility and can be combined with value-add services such as radiopaque additives, drawdowns, and tapering.

Microcatheters – With improving technologies to create ever-smaller devices, physicians likewise need catheter componentry capable of performing these catheterization procedures. Zeus has focused our efforts on creating thinner, stronger, and more flexible PTFE liners and other catheter components to deliver advanced lifesaving treatments.

PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) – Our products are conceived and created to support the critical demands of the medical device industry. Whether used as a manufacturing aid or a permanent implant, Zeus manufactures precision components to provide your device with the flexibility and strength for the most challenging anatomical locations.

Stent Encapsulation – Zeus provides cutting-edge and highly customizable technologies as cover materials for a broad range of stent graft types and geometries.

Absorv™ – These bioabsorbable products safely exist in the body for controlled lengths of time before being absorbed naturally by the body. Zeus partners with our customers to develop and deliver these advanced polymers to meet precise degradation rates and specifications. We are able to extrude these biomaterials into high-precision tubular geometries and perform full polymer characterization to meet regulatory requirements.

Bioweb™ – These electrospun microporous products are made into composite membranes of PTFE and TPU, and used for a variety of applications, such as stent coverings and even specialized filtration devices. Similar to expanded PTFE, Bioweb™ has a lower basis weight but has comparable chemical and temperature resistance. Zeus processing allows us to create encapsulation technology, spin membrane/sheet, and develop 3-D structures for coating substrates of varying shapes and sizes.

Catheter Braiding – When metals cannot be used in certain catheterization procedures, Zeus offers drawn fibers and monofilaments available in PEEK and LCP as non-metallic and flexible alternatives to stainless steel braiding. These materials are MRI-compatible and available in flat and rounded profiles.

Catheter Liners – Typically made of PTFE that has been chemically etched to allow for bonding, these inner liners of catheters provide the utmost in lubricity, electrical performance, chemical resistance, and are sterilizable via multiple methods.

Customized Tubing – Zeus offers a wide range of fluoropolymers and specialized plastics with a history of success in medical device applications. Depending on your needs, we can provide custom etching, flaring, tipping, and prototype sampling with quick turnaround and complete technical support.

Fusing Sleeves – Heat shrinkable fluoropolymer tubing provides an excellent way to reflow the underlying nylon or Pebax® jacketing material during catheter construction. We offer FEP heat shrink tubing and FluoroPEELZ™ peelable heat shrink as fusing sleeves, both of which can withstand high temperatures and contribute to a smooth surface finish for the completed device.

Jacketing – Catheter jackets are designed to provide additional structural support and flexibility through different durometers along the length of the catheter. Zeus offers a variety of nylon and Pebax® jacketing to meet these catheter construction needs.

Processing / Support Mandrels – A building block for catheter construction, this polymer core provides the central arbor around which the catheter is made and supports the desired ID. After construction, the mandrel is removed to produce the final ID. Our catheter components are highly lubricious and are ideal for use as mandrels with easy removal; these are available in PEEK and PTFE.

Biomaterials – The emergence of biomaterials, substances or materials that can exist in the body, has become a driving force in medical innovation. Bioabsorbables are especially suitable for implantable medical applications and provide an alternative to traditional polymers and metal components because they can be absorbed by the body. Recognizing this industry need, Zeus has expanded our capabilities in multiple areas to develop the most advanced biomaterials in the industry.

ETFE – A copolymer of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene, ETFE tubing affords excellent resistance to impact, abrasion, and stress cracking. ETFE possesses superior toughness, stiffness, and durability, all while being chemically inert. The material can be extruded in multiple forms, including flexible convoluted tubing.

FEP – Fluorinated ethylene propylene, or FEP, is a melt-processable fluoropolymer that allows for long, continuous lengths and has several distinct advantages over PTFE. FEP is a preferred choice when optical clarity is vital while still maintaining flexibility. In heat shrinkable form, FEP has a lower recovery temperature than PTFE, and FEP can be used to reflow softer underlying materials such as Pebax® for catheter jackets. This chemically inert material has low gas permeability and possesses an excellent UV transmission rating and dielectric strength. FEP is also gamma, ETO, e-beam, and autoclave sterilizable.

LCP – Liquid crystal polymers, or LCPs, are thermoplastic resins that exhibit unique properties. These materials have a host of desirable traits, including exceptional mechanical strength, heat tolerance for autoclaving, and chemical inertness. Through Zeus’ proprietary processing, we have developed an LCP monofilament fiber for use as catheter braiding. This material possesses excellent tensile strength and surpasses many similar monofilaments, such as nylon, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), and even polyether ether ketone (PEEK) in terms of stiffness. Most importantly, however, LCP monofilament used as catheter braiding results in a device that is fully compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures.

Pebax® – This material (also known as PEBA, or polyether block amide) is often used as a jacketing material for catheters, providing structural support and strength while also allowing catheters to remain flexible. Pebax® is a versatile polymer whose properties can be easily altered by varying its monomeric ratios and block types, thus imparting a wide range of mechanical properties such as flexibility. This material possesses high elastic memory and is stronger than nylon 11. Pebax® is available in Shore D hardness ranges from 35 to 72.

PEEK – Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a high-performance polymer that has excellent heat endurance and one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any thermoplastic. PEEK products are used in a variety of medical applications due to their columnar stiffness and torsional strength in very thin walls. PEEK tubing can be sourced with ID’s as small as 0.002″ (0.051 mm) and nominal wall thicknesses as low as 0.0015″ (0.0381 mm). PEEK drawn fiber is an alternative option for braiding in catheters where metal may not be preferable. PEEK is lightweight and is able to withstand operating temperatures of 500 ºF (260 ºC). PEEK tolerates high burst pressures and possesses exceptional torsion stability. PEEK is also thermoformable and resistant to gamma radiation, wear, and impact.

PFA – Perfluoroalkoxy, or PFA, possesses excellent lubricity, clarity, and chemical resistance, making it highly versatile; it can be manufactured in a variety of extruded products, including custom sizes, profiles, and multi-lumens. PFA is highly flexible, chemically resistant to all common solvents, possesses low gas permeability, and has ultra-low levels of ionic extractables. PFA retains its mechanical strength even at temperatures up to 500 °F (260 °C). PFA is highly flame-resistant and can tolerate ETO, e-beam, and autoclave sterilizations, making it well-suited to medical applications.

PTFE – Polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, is highly lubricious and is the preferred material in many applications in the medical field. This material has the lowest coefficient of friction of any polymer and easily tolerates ETO and autoclave sterilizations. PTFE has a working temperature up to 500 °F (260 °C) and can be produced with precision tolerances. This diverse polymer is available in a variety of forms, including tubing, special profiles, heat shrink, monofilaments, and multi-lumens.