Safer urethane catheters become softer in the body

Lincolnshire, Illinois –  Medical products manufacturer Flexan has developed central venous catheters (CVCs) based on a special polyurethane (PU) material that enters the body rigid but then becomes softer.

Flexan designed the CVC to avoid the risks to patients during insertion and positioning: complications from injured vessels and nerves as well as sometimes potentially fatal infections.

These types of catheter are typically inserted into the upper or lower vena cava – just before the right atrium of the heart – via a large vein near the heart.

“We were able to mould with a urethane material that is inserted into the body in a rigid state, but immediately becomes softer there due to the body temperature,” said Eric King, VP and general manager at Flexan.

“This plays an important role in reducing complications in catheter positioning.” King state in a release issues 22 Oct.

The PU was subsequently used to overmould thin-walled 5FR triple-lumen, 4FR double-lumen, and 3FR single-lumen small diameter PICCs.

Flexan also designed and manufactured a 4FR catheter that has the same lumen as conventional 5FR catheters but a 14% smaller diameter.

Flexan LLC is a global manufacturer of elastomer parts for industry applications. It operates out of four plants with about 800 employees.

The company’s Lincolnshire operation specialises particularly in cleanroom-manufactured silicone rubber components for implantable medical devices.