PTFE Beading Monofilament

EliteMandrel™  Series 

EliteMandrel™ PTFE  Beading Monofilament

Overview

Extruded monofilaments are extensively utilized in the medical device  industry, like as forming and support mandrels during catheter  construction. Because mandrels help form the inside diameter (ID) of the  finished device, choosing the correct mandrel material is of critical  importance. Used to form the inside diameter (ID) of the device during  construction, mandrels must provide consistent IDs and a smooth inner  surface for the finished catheter. Therefore, choosing the right mandrel  material is of critical importance. 

PTFE Beading Monofilament 

Traditionally, catheter manufacturers have opted for PTFE-coated stainless  steel wire as the mandrel for most catheter builds. While stainless steel  provides good mechanical strength, the thin PTFE coating applied over  the wire is prone to faking during mandrel removal, potentially compromising the build. Extruded PTFE monoflament, on the other hand,  does not run the risk of faking and still provides sufcient tensile and  compressive strength for a wide range of catheter designs while also  being easy to remove due to the inherent lubricity of PTFE. 

Glass-filled PTFE Beading Monofilament

For more complex builds or designs requiring a higher PIC count braiding,  such as neurovascular catheters, glass particles can be compounded with the  PTFE resin prior to extrusion to enhance the mechanical properties of the  extruded PTFE monoflament while still maintaining high lubricity for easy  removal. VasPilot Healthcare is also capable of extruding performance monoflaments  in a variety of customizable shapes and profles to meet the specifc  requirements of your design.