Medical tubing

Braid reinforced tubing applied as medical catheter

In modern medical technology, catheters have become an indispensable part. They are used in numerous diagnostic as well as therapeutic applications, especially minimally invasive or in vitro. Innovative tubing solutions are required for the diverse, sometimes complex medical applications of catheters to guarantee optimum functionality during such susceptible procedures. Among these application-specific solutions is braid reinforced tubing designed for use as catheters. For example, thanks to the increased stability, braid reinforcement enables ultra-thin-walled tubing to be used as catheters. Moreover, for multi-lumen and multi-durometer applications, the reinforced braid layer lends itself to steerable and deflectable catheters. In addition, braided tubing is often used in catheters where other technologies such as hydraulics or optics need to be stably integrated. Typical medical applications of braid reinforced tubing as catheters include:

• Heart valve systems as well as other cardiovascular applications.
• Neurovascular applications
• Endoscopic applications
• Biopsy devices
• Ablation catheters

Structure and properties

Typically, braid reinforced tubing consists of three layers: An inner tube, the braid reinforced layer, and an outer cover. Various thermoplastics or fluoropolymers can be used for both the inner and outer layers. PTFE is particularly suitable thanks to its excellent sliding properties. A range of wire and cable wire types such as round wire, flat wire, or high-strength polymers may be used for the braid-reinforced layer. Thereby, the optimal variant depends on the intended area of application. Generally, the reinforcement gives the catheters kink resistance, variable flexibility, increased mechanical protection, increased chemical resistance as well as improved tensile strength. Moreover, the structure of the reinforcement layer can be designed variably. For example, the pitches of the braid, the density of crossovers per unit length, or the thickness of the braid can be varied, resulting in different elongation and strength properties.

GREMCOS braid reinforced tubing

Being the official umbrella representative of our partner company New England Tubing Technologies, we have a wide product portfolio of braid reinforced tubing, mainly for medical applications. Due to our extensive experience with braided hoses for the medical industry, we are effortlessly able to identify the optimal braid reinforced tube for any medical requirement profile. Both single- and multi-lumen reinforced hoses are available in our product portfolio. In addition, designs incorporating various braid types and braid materials can be provided. These range from round and flat stainless steel alloys to high-strength monofilament polymers. Thus, our tubing covers a wide range of different property combinations for diverse applications.

Customized designs are also available upon request, manufactured according to the desired properties. For example, by varying the density of the braid, various braid designs and configurations enable the production of tubing with flexibility that varies along its length. By this, a braid reinforced tube is created that starts stiff and becomes increasingly flexible along its length. In addition, the tensile and elongation properties can be influenced by adding a longitudinal element.