
Coatings for Medical / Biomedical Devices and Surgical Instruments
Biomedical devices are designed to improve quality of life, and current methods are remarkable in their scope and efficacy. In fact, they are so commonplace as to almost be considered “routine.” However, surgery to implant a biomedical device is still not a thing to be taken lightly. The implanted devices have to perform perfectly and to last. Therefore, they need to be:
- Biocompatible – chemically inert (non-mutagenic, non-hemolytic, non-pyrogenic) to prevent rejection and/or adverse reactions
- Low Friction – moving surfaces must have low friction characteristics to ensure precise, smooth operation
- Durable – All surfaces of an implant must be durable and corrosion resistant to ensure long and trouble-free operation. When wear does occur, the resulting byproducts must not be capable of embedding in nearby tissue
PVD coatings have proven critical in meeting these requirements for all materials commonly used in biomedical devices-stainless steel, titanium, ceramics, and other advanced materials. Acree has created high performance biomedical coatings. Acree’s biomedical coatings feature:
- Nanocrystalline structure that is free of pores, columnar structures, and inclusions (any of which can lead to cracks, corrosion, or wear). Nanocrystalline structure has a lower coefficient of friction than commonly used polymers and polycarbonate materials
- Very high levels of process control, coating uniformity, and adhesion