Concept to Prototype: How to Build a Catheter [Webinar Recap]
What happens when you hand a box of catheter components to two professionals—one who previously worked as a catheter engineer and another non-engineer from the business side—and ask them to build a working intravascular guiding sheath in under an hour? Add in two seasoned MedTech experts as guides, and you get Chamfr’s most hands-on, high-stakes webinar yet.
“Concept to Prototype: How to Build a Catheter Challenge” wasn’t just another product walkthrough. It was a real-time prototyping exercise led by Damian Carr, founder of Eyedea Medtech Education, and Scott Hayden of 3TG Tech, featuring the Chamfr team stepping into the lab for a live catheter build.
This webinar marked part two of Chamfr’s educational series designed to pull back the curtain on how medical devices are really made—from design decisions to assembly to sourcing components at speed.
In this recap, we’ll walk you through:
- The catheter build process
- Major takeaways for R&D engineers
- Tips from Damian and Scott on prototyping smarter
- How Chamfr’s marketplace supports rapid innovation
Want to see the full build in action? Access the full recording→
“We’re trying to replicate the real-world constraints R&D engineers face every day—tight timelines, incomplete information, and unpredictable part behavior,” Carr said.
Part 1: The Catheter Build Begins
Armed with dozens of catheter components—including PTFE liners, braided shafts, Pebax tubing, extrusion tips, marker bands, and mandrels—Katie and Theresa approached the table with energy and uncertainty.
Questions that came up before they began:
- Which liner would provide enough ID without compromising wall thickness?
- How would the braid stiffness affect torque at the distal end?
- Would the jacket materials bond well during reflow?
Early hiccups included:
- Mismatched components (mandrel too large for liner ID)
- Struggles with braid elongation
- Adhesion issues during tip bonding
These weren’t just mistakes—they were realistic representations of challenges engineers face during early-stage development.
Part 2: The Catheter Expert Debrief
Once the team finished their build, Damian and Scott took the mic to walk through their process critiques.
Damian’s Core Observations:
Component fit and compatibility is often misunderstood
“If the braid elongates during reflow and your jacket shrinks, the mismatch creates ripple failures,” he explained.
Too many people over-design
“Start with the simplest form possible. Don’t over-braid, over-layer, or overthink before you’ve tested basic ideas.”
Prototyping tools matter
Access to basic reflow tools, mandrels, and support fixtures helps remove trial-and-error—but engineers often skip this step to save time.
Scott’s Material Insights:
Choosing the right braid pitch and strand count
This defines torque control and stiffness. Scott emphasized how even slight changes in flat wire thickness affect performance dramatically.
Heat bonding and tip forming are art forms
He walked through why even material color and fill density influence reflow timing.
Jacket overlap length is critical
Too much and flexibility drops; too little and delamination occurs.
Key Takeaways for Engineers
Whether you’re new to catheter design or have years in the cleanroom, here’s what you’ll take from this challenge:
1. Prototyping Isn’t Pretty—But It’s Critical
Theresa and Katie’s struggles mirrored real-world R&D. From tubing that wouldn’t track to liner walls that crumpled under stress, their mistakes were exactly the learning moments Damian hoped to surface.
“Ugly builds teach you faster than any spec sheet,” Damian reminded the audience.
2. The Build Process Is About Tradeoffs
- More braid = more torque, but less flexibility
- Thicker jackets = more durability, but harder bonding
- Shorter transitions = tighter control, but harder manufacturing
Getting it right means choosing the least-bad compromise—not the perfect part.
3. Sourcing Flexibility Is a Competitive Advantage
One of the major lessons was the value of a component marketplace like Chamfr. In most organizations, sourcing delays can halt innovation. But here, the Chamfr team had over 20 SKUs on hand from 10+ suppliers —all shipped in days.
“Imagine trying to build this in your lab with legacy procurement. You’d be stuck waiting 6 weeks for a liner sample,” said Scott.
Hidden Lessons From the Challenge
The build also surfaced a few meta-level learnings that engineers can apply to their own workflow:
Always Validate Compatibility Early
Before you assemble, dry-fit your parts. Mismatched IDs and ODs were responsible for 80% of the time wasted in this challenge.
Don’t Assume Process Will Fix Design
Some mistakes (like elongated braids or short jacket overlaps) can’t be fixed during reflow or gluing. Build with alignment—not correction—in mind.
Failure Is the Fastest Teacher
Seeing live mistakes made by non-engineers helped attendees recognize their own blind spots in the design > prototype > test loop.
The Role of Chamfr in Rapid Development
Throughout the session, the value of Chamfr’s model became increasingly clear. It wasn’t just a parts supplier—it was a platform for speed, discovery, and iteration.
Chamfr enables:
- One-stop access to extrusions, liners, braids, tips, and more
- RFQ tools tailored for R&D-scale orders
- Visual, spec-driven part selection
- Supplier discovery for niche capabilities
Scott summed it up well:
“I used to wait weeks for a single spec change. Now I browse, buy, and test within the same week. That’s the new R&D speed.”
Looking Ahead: What’s Next in the Series?
This event was the second in Chamfr’s webinar series. Part one introduced Damian’s design philosophy and prototyping mindset. This build-focused session put those lessons into action.
Next up? Testing in tissue!
In an upcoming collaboration with Biosim and Chamfr’s ecosystem of suppliers—including Switchback Medical, ProtoLase, and Lightning Cath—a catheter built from Chamfr parts will be deployed in real tissue (yes, an antelope sample).
Stay tuned for more on that!
Final Thoughts
The “Concept to Prototype” challenge reminded us that innovation doesn’t start with a perfect drawing—it starts with imperfect decisions, fast tests, and smart iteration. Whether you’re building your first catheter or refining your 100th, the principles of curiosity, constraint, and craft never go out of style.
Join Chamfr’s community of R&D innovators and keep learning what it really takes to go from concept to prototype—and beyond. Make sure to subscribe to our emails and follow us on LinkedIn for updates!