Lubricious coatings are used to coat medical devices used in invasive medical procedures. Commonly used devices are balloon angioplasty catheters and delivery sheaths along with implant delivery systems, guide wires and intravascular catheters, says the Food and Drug Administration. The different coatings include polyvinylpyrrolidone or PVP or as polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE and silicone, among others.
Here are some of the benefits of using these coatings for medical devices:
Decrease friction
When surgeries or other invasive medical procedures are undertaken, lubricious coatings on medical devices help ease up the friction that occurs between the device and surrounding blood vessels. With less friction, the risk of infections is also reduced.
Help recovery times
Another advantage to using these coatings is that they help patients recover faster. With less friction, there’s also less damage to the surrounding tissues. So patients can look forward to faster recovery times. Given how long recovery can take when it comes to invasive procedures like surgeries, anything that helps improve recovery times presents a definite advantage to both sides.
Faster treatment
The use of these coatings also provide patients with faster treatment that would not have been available otherwise. Without these coatings, some patients might be forced to seek out alternative means of treatment that often cost more and have longer recovery times as well as higher risks of infections.
Finding a coating supplier
That’s why these coatings matter. But not just any coating provider will do, though. Given the processes and applications involved, finding a trustworthy and reliable provider is crucial. After all, poor coating can increase infection for your patients. So make sure you look around before you settle on a final choice. With a number of companies that provide coating solutions out there, finding the right one should be easy so long as you insist on quality.
