Junkosha recently launched its cut-to-length and slit peelable heat shrink technology for catheter-based procedures.

The peelable heat shrink technology (PHST) is ideal for procedures where flexibility is a key requirement, such as a catheter delivery system for neuromuscular treatments.

“Junkosha’s PHST solutions are ideal for very small devices such as micro-catheters due to their simplicity in removal. Conventional skiving techniques do not work on smaller reflowed catheters, frequently leading to bending or kinking of the catheter shaft, therefore rendering them useless.” Biomerics program manager Alan Iranian said. “Products like Junkosha’s cut-to-length and slit PHST also enable complicated shapes and constructs to be added to the catheter in a simple way, resulting in the ability to complete complex build procedures more efficiently. Looking ahead, I expect the applications for products like PHST to widen and increase, as the need for less invasive complex procedures grows in tandem.”

Cut-to-length and slit PHST allow catheter manufacturers to use different lengths to reflow a catheter’s baseline materials and to attach complex shapes and constructions. Key applications for the technology includes balloon mounting, catheter lamination, forming, tacking, masking, bonding parallel tubes and polymer jacket compression.

“We have a deep heritage in material science and fluoropolymers, which means our solutions are at the leading edge of what is possible. With our cut-to-length and slit PHST solution, we are providing catheter manufacturers with the versatility they require to complete increasingly intricate bonding and welding applications,” president and CEO Joe Rowan. “In the future, I expect this need for more complex procedures to continue to increase, as the healthcare system maintains its drive towards minimally invasive procedures.”