Brachytherapy – This is a minimally invasive localized treatment for various cancers using radioactive seeds. The seeds are contained within an absorbable tube-based implant that is inserted into the area around the tumor to eradicate cancer cells.

Diabetes Treatment – Zeus precision products are used as catheter componentry to enable vascular access for a variety of diabetic treatments, including insulin pumps, dialysis, and bladder drainage.

Orthopedics – Zeus tubing is often used as sheathing for equipment in orthopedic procedures. The end of the tube is often tapered to securely house an implant or needle.

Otolaryngology (ENT) – Balloon sinuplasty procedures reduce pressure for patients suffering from chronic sinusitis. Our Absorv™ bioabsorbable monofilament can be used as a woven scaffold to prop up and open clogged nasal passages. This product can be coated with anti-inflammatory medications to accelerate patient recovery and customized with controlled degradation rates. Advanced components form the delivery catheter for the scaffold, while PTFE or FEP heat shrinks provide a lubricious covering to facilitate smooth delivery through the nasal cavity. For ear tube applications, we can flare or flange our tubing options to make ideal introducer and cutting sheaths for deploying cochlear implants.

Reproductive Health – Our tubing products are present in many devices used in OB/GYN and urological devices, including balloon, urinary, and dilation catheters.

Absorv™ – These bioabsorbable polymer 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.

Aeos™ ePTFE – These advanced products from Zeus feature microscopic pores in the structure of the material by expanding PTFE under exacting conditions. The resulting porous products are imparted with unique physical properties that make them ideal for use in medical devices such as endovascular stent grafts, suture-like devices, cosmetic implants, dental and glass ionomer uses, structural heart, and tissue engineering. Aeos™ ePTFE has many of the same exceptional traits of PTFE but differs because it provides unique properties for applications requiring porosity.

Bioweb™ – These electrospun microporous products can be made into sheets or membranes and used for a variety of applications, such as stent coverings, scaffolds, 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.

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.

Multi-lumen Tubing – This tubing creates multiple passages through which several simultaneous treatments or instruments can be directed toward the treatment site. Available in a variety of resins, these products are made with tight tolerances, unsurpassed capabilities, and superior quality standards.

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.

PTFE Sub-Lite-Wall™ – This novel material is used for the lining of catheter IDs and allows easier access to difficult-to-reach body spaces. This material may be supplied etched on the outside diameter (OD) to allow better bondability with other materials. PTFE Sub-Lite-Wall™ Heat Shrink improves the lubricity of wire guides over long lengths for use in endoscopy applications.

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 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.

Nylon – In addition to Pebax®, Zeus extrudes nylon tubing and can assist in the selection of the specific grade of nylon best suited for your jacketing or surface application. Our engineered nylon is available in a wide range of grades suited for many custom applications, including  Nylon 6/6 (Zytel® 42A and ST801), Nylon 11 (Rilsan® B), Nylon 12 (Grilamid® L25, Rilsan® A, Vestamid® L2140, Grilamid® TR55 and TR55LX), and others.

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.