Written by: Denton Vacuum, LLC

Summary: Using sputter deposition and thermal evaporation, you can manufacture almost any product a patient might need.

Medical devices have undergone some serious changes in the past few years that have made them cheaper, and also more durable. New advancements in manufacturing allow companies to make minimally invasive products, and durable replacement parts. The same techniques that go into manufacturing semiconductors are now part of the medical field. Here are just a few of the benefits they bring.

Durability

A thermal evaporation system can coat one material in the particulates of another material. This is especially useful for manufacturers of medical devices, as they can coat plastic pieces and metalize them. The end result is a more durable part. Take hip joints, for instance. These replacement parts are crucial to the elderly and disabled. Thermal evaporation allows manufacturers to produce these devices at low cost, using parts that wouldn’t normally work long-term.

Comfort

Medical device coatings allow patients to wear something in the body with minimal discomfort. These devices usually make tubes like catheters more pliable, so they can easily slide into place and set there for days at a time without the patient experiencing pain. A special process is used to coat the tubing in an aqueous substance that prevents the device from sticking to the body’s internals.

Final Thoughts

UHV sputter deposition, and thermal coatings, have dramatically changed how devices are manufactured. New devices are made with cheaper materials, then reinforced to a level of quality not otherwise possible. Eye glasses also receive this treatment to achieve the anti-glare affect. Ultimately, cheaper devices keep healthcare costs down.