Materials & Coatings Information

Optimization Ensures Better Outcomes

Properly matching materials and coatings will cut cost and enhance performance. We help clients select from a wide variety of choices.

Material Strategy

There is no single material appropriate for all cutting and piercing applications. This is why Cadence offers clients a wide range of materials. This ensures the right mix of properties for each individual application. Additionally, we inventory many shapes (flats, sheets, coils, wire, rod, tubes, and bars) to enable this philosophy to become a reality. The ideal cutting or piercing material would be economical, strong, corrosion-resistant, wear-resistant and totally flexible. Unfortunately, there is no such material. This is why Cadence offers a wide range of material choices. We understand that each client must identify properties and characteristics that are most important to the specific application.

Coatings Strategy

Many surgical applications incorporate some type of coating for improved functional performance, such as:

Parylene
Dry film lubricant coatings such as PTFE
High-performance synthetic lubricants such as PFPE, PFAE, and PFPAE
Silicone based coatings
TiN, TiC, TiCN
Ceramic (e.g. Boron Carbide)

Parylene is a conformal coating that provides a strong moisture barrier and good electronic insulation. Dry film fluoropolymer and silicone-based coatings are typically used to reduce friction. Other coatings, such as TiN, are applied when increased wear resistance is desired. Cadence currently chooses to maximize the knowledgebase surrounding coatings through partnerships with the leading coating companies.

Material Properties to Consider

When choosing optimum sharps material for your medical device, consider the following properties:

Corrosion Resistance
Shape Control during Heat Treat
Wear Resistance
Influence on Edge or Point Characteristics
Cost
Toughness or Shock Resistance
Availability
Size and Finish

Know Your Materials

Below are salient aspects of popular incision and puncture component materials for blades and specialty needles. Please contact us to discuss specific data, or to request further documentation about a specific material.

300 Series Stainless Steels
Austenitic stainless steels offer excellent corrosion resistance for the harshest surgical environments. Non-magnetic properties combined with high toughness at all temperatures make these grades of stainless steels an excellent selection for most surgical applications. These austenitic stainless steels also provide more corrosion and shock resistance than 400 series martensitic steel, but sacrifice some wear resistance, hardness, strength, and durability.

301 302 304 304L 316 316L

400 Series Stainless Steels, Heat Treated
In general, these materials exhibit excellent toughness and hardness properties and offer good corrosion resistance. Suitable for medical and surgical applications, 400 series martensitic steel is much more corrosion-resistant than regular carbon steel and can be sharpened and pointed to equally-keen sharpness. IncisionTech maintains an extensive inventory of Razor Blade Stainless steel in thicknesses from .010”-.062” thick, as well as 420 “Cutlery Grade” Stainless steel.

410 420 420 (cutlery grade) 440A modified 440A (aka Razor Blade Stainless Steel)

17-4 & 17-7 PH Stainless Steels
Precipitation hardened austenitic stainless steels offer excellent corrosion resistance for the harshest surgical environments and superior edge strength to many 300 series stainless steels. This class of materials also provides more corrosion and shock resistance than 400 series martensitic steel, but sacrifices some wear resistance, hardness and durability.

High-Performance Zirconia Ceramic
Recent developments have made it possible to produce extremely sharp blades from transformation-toughened zirconia (ZrO2), commonly referred to as "zirconia ceramic". Although not recommended for high-shock applications, the Rc 75 hardness and low friction coefficient make zirconia ceramic an interesting option. Its component life can be more than 100 times that of conventional steel. Other characteristics of Zirconia that make it an attractive material in some applications include, superb corrosion resistance, non-magnetic, and high electrical insulation properties.

Nitinol
Originally developed 40 years ago in the Naval Ordinance Labs, Nitinol has recently found a multitude of novel surgical applications. Made from nearly equivalent amounts of Titanium and Nickel, this material can be processed in ways that optimize its mechanical properties for “superelasticity” or “shape memory.” As the availability of Nitinol has been growing, IncisionTech has had the opportunity to partner with medical device OEMs in developing some of the most innovative cutting and piercing solutions for Nitinol on the market today.

Titanium
Titanium is a standard material for many implants such as hip and knee joints and bone screws due to its total resistance to body fluids and high fatigue strength. Additionally Titanium has proven to be more compatible with MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CT (Computed Tomography) than some other materials. IncisionTech has worked with a number of medical device OEMs to create innovative Titanium-based solutions.