Medical wire is being designed into more and more catheters because it allows for a conduction of energy. This makes it great for applications such as diagnostic, ablation, ultrasound, hearing aids and much more.

It’s now possible to create a thinner, higher performance medical device using a laser-cut hypotube. What’s even more exciting is that a laser-cut hypotube and a single jacket of Pebax heat shrink tubing used together help streamline the process.

As an engineer who’s worked on many medical devices, I’m still learning each and every day. There’s so many resources, components and technologies used in device development. It’s one of the many reasons I’m still so passionate and excited about this industry after 15 years on the job.

Recently, I came across 17-7 SS as an alternate solution, and was surprised by some of the material properties that allowed us to optimize the product design. Compared to 304 SS, 17-7 has a higher tensile strength, improved machinability, weldability and magnetic permeability.

Polyimide film coat technology has opened so many doors for medical device design engineers. With super thin-walls, chemical and heat resistance properties, and the ability to blend and layer with standard thermoplastic and fluoropolymer materials, it’s very versatile.