This July, we’re celebrating materials month! In honor of materials month, each week we’ll be highlighting and discussing the different biomaterials (known as the Quadra™ Family of Medical Polyurethanes) and compounding capabilities that we offer to the medical device industry.
This week, to kick everything off, we’ll be talking about our most popular medical grade polyurethane line, Quadraflex™.
What is Quadraflex™?
Quadraflex™ is a line of implantable polyether and polyester-based medical grade thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs). Found in devices around the world, the Quadraflex™ line of TPUs are available in both aromatic and aliphatic chemistries.
According to Mike Anderson, Director of Sales & Marketing at Biomerics, “Quadraflex™ is the heart of our medical materials business—it’s our workhorse material for which we’re known. The versatility and wide range of markets that Quadraflex™ serves makes it a choice material among the leading medical device companies.”
What makes Quadraflex™ unique?
The Quadraflex™ line of TPUs is unique for a number of reasons, however, in this blog post we’ll be focusing on the characteristics that our customers find most impactful.
One of the biggest reasons the Quadraflex™ line of TPUs is so unique when compared with other TPUs is the fact that it exhibits the mechanical properties, elasticity, and biocompatibility ratings necessary to meet and/or exceed the demanding requirements of the medical device industry. This gives our customers the peace-of-mind that the Quadraflex™ materials they are using comply with medical specifications.
The Quadraflex™ line of TPUs is also unique because it can be used in both acute (less than 30 days) and chronic (more than 30 days) applications. This gives medical device manufacturers the freedom to develop both short term and long term devices using the same material—simplifying the supply chain and decreasing the materials familiarity learning curve.
Finally, both the aromatic and aliphatic grades of Quadraflex™ TPUs are available in a wide range of shore hardness. The result of this is twofold:
- Offering a wide range of shore hardness allows us to provide materials that meet the needs of many different markets.
- Offering a wide range of shore hardness makes it easier for R&D teams and manufacturers who currently use and prefer Quadraflex™ TPUs to select materials for new devices as they don’t have to look elsewhere to find an equivalent TPU in a different shore.
Sriram Venkataramani, Senior Polymer R&D Scientist at Biomerics, explained, “The distinctive chemistry of the Quadraflex™ line of TPUs is what truly sets it apart. Its advanced characteristics and processing characteristics have made it ideal for a multitude of medical applications.”
What applications can Quadraflex™ be found in?
“Due to the versatility of its chemical makeup, the Quadraflex™ line of TPUs can be found in a wide range of markets and devices,” affirmed Sriram. “Within the vascular access market Quadraflex™ can be found in PICCs, CVCs, and other intravenous catheters. In the cardiovascular market Quadraflex™ is used in introducers, dilators, and other procedural devices. Certain hemodialysis catheters and products also utilize Quadraflex™. It can be found in almost any medical device market.”
Want to learn more about the Quadraflex™ line of TPUs?
For more information, give us a call (1-801-895-2578), send us an email (csr@biomerics.com), or visit the Quadraflex™ section of our website where you can download product data sheets, material safety data sheets, biocompatibility guides, and our Quadra™ Family Product Guide.
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