Peek Tubing Laparoscope Here is What You Need to Know

08 March 21

For medical extruders and engineers, the peek tubing laparoscope offers attractive tubing applications

Peek tubing laparoscope technology is an amazing medical wonder. It provides the medical professional with the most extensive and highest level of extrusion performance. Peek itself stands for Poly Ether Ether Ketone. The technology comes with enhanced properties that are beneficial for both engineers and medical designers.

However, understanding the aspects and application is foremost important for the stakeholders. The mechanism offers a high level of strength and resistance against certain chemicals. Additionally, it bears a resistance against high temperatures as well. Also, the level of dimensional stability of PEEK surpasses other methods.

This is the reason that this methodology is feasible for neurovascular and orthopedic treatments. Not only these, but mechanical components and accessories are also feasible against this technique. So, to avail its perks, it is therefore pertinent for the designer, processors as well as engineers to understand its nitty-gritty.

High resistance To Heat and Temperature

For medical engineers and designers, the peek tubing laparoscope is the best tool owing to its high heat resistance properties. This is because the PEEK is a high heat polymer product. The PEEK tubing system holds its strength and reliability even at the temperature of 700 degrees Fahrenheit.

Therefore, a manufacturer cannot produce the PEEK on a standard plastic thermoplastic model. But they do so by outing the extruder with the use of high-quality heaters. This eventually demands the metals involves in construction must have alloys that carry low heat expansion.

Here comes the part of the peek tubing laparoscope that is critical. The high heat resistance property of PEEK is helpful when you are manufacturing multiple-component devices. Furthermore, the process that requires fabrication is ideal for PEEK. This is because they require less thermal processing. Such processes are over-molding, welding using thermal heat as well as Reflow processing.

The stability concern of the PEEK is considered satisfactory. It remains stable at a temperature between 465 degrees Fahrenheit to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, the melting point of the PEEK lies at 644 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whereas, the normal PEEK temperature ranges between 200 to 300 Fahrenheit. This temperature is effective as well as higher than that of traditional methods like a thermoplastic. These thermoplastics are low-heat material. By this, it means that for the best bond with PEEK, the corresponding bonding material must be mechanical.

Such processes are normal with thermal welding and reflow processes. However, for thermal dissimilar materials, one must look for additional features in designs to ensure strong bonding. Last but not least is that PEEK must reach the standard thermal elevated temperature for completion and stability.

PEEK Bears Less Friction

For microbore processes, the peek tubing laparoscope must come with less friction. This thereby is the most beneficial property. This is because most catheter application demands less friction coefficient. These processes include neurovascular and similar methods. So, for a standard PEEK process, the coefficient factor must be in a range of 0.35. This comparison nevertheless with fluoropolymers is higher. The friction coefficient of the latter one ranges from 0.1 to 0.2.

For the process, there are no lubricious liner and coatings involves.  This is because the PEEK process itself for microbore applications is smooth enough to support movements. These movements are most frequent in processes as vasculatures and other access for devices. This property of less friction moreover also supports in terms of stiffness and torque.

The feasibility of PEEK during push-ability reaches a level lower than 2 French. Therefore, when in combination with other materials with PEEK, those materials would need certain characteristics.

This includes the high thickness of the wall as well as it must be braided. Such properties eventually end up costing much. There are many other tools as well that can get an effective benefit from PEEK lubricious property. This includes sliding tools, access devices, spinning as well bushing.

Versatility is the Virtue

For low heat material, the extruders or manufacturers can turn the peek tubing laparoscope according to any configuration. This configuration however is feasible for low heat material. This includes the microbore tubing process, Thin-wall tubing process, Shaping multiple profiles as well as the multi-lumen process.

Some processes are different than their corresponding parts that require low heat. But with the versatility of peeking tubing, one can do this easily. Furthermore, lies its versatility in performance.

There are some functions that even metals and other low heating materials cannot perform. Nonetheless, PEEK is versatile in all these processes. For this reason, the expertise of an extruder with PEEK is pertinent to achieve full performance in medical equipment.

Benefits of Using Peek Tubing Laparoscope

The benefits are:

Reliable and Inexpensive

For most of the HPLC system, the standard and prioritized method are the peek tubing laparoscope. The reason behind this is it is inexpensive and convenient. Furthermore, it helps also in calculating the internal diameter. But there are some considerations that you must keep in mind to avoid any problems in PEEK.

Flexible and Convenient

The second advantage of using PEEK is that one can cut it into any desired shape or length. To do this there is a special cutter available with a guillotine razor blade. However, you cannot slice through it. For this purpose, you need a pair of scissors. This is because slicing through it can block lumen in the PEEK tubing. The method is to pinch the cutter. After that, the user must rotate it to the extent that it cuts the groove to the tubing. This thereby can leave the lumen open by snapping the tubing.

Identification Makes Easy

Another advantage of using the PEEK is that you can easily identify it. This happens because the manufacturers color coat the tubing. The color-coding of the tubing identifies its diameter. The red color of the tubing shows 0.005 inches of diameter and the yellow carries 0.007 inches. Furthermore, there are no chances of color leaching and causing the extraction of pigments along with UV light interference.

Liabilities of the peek tubing laparoscope

The liabilities of peek tubing laparoscope include:

Not All Solvents Are Reliable

The use of Aqueous buffer and salt variant is feasible in terms of HPLC solvents. However, not all the solvents are feasible. The compatible one includes Methanol and ACN. This makes it a liability because major solvents as tetrahydrofuran and all the chlorinated solvents are not compatible with PEEK.

The reason behind it is that these solvents make the PEEK tubing weaken by causing the brittles. However, for LC-MS applications using the tetrahydrofuran, the detector and background cause major issues. Hence, it is not recommended to use even the THF and other chlorinated solvents in PEEK tubing.

Low-Pressure Resistance

Another major problem that occurs whilst using the PEEK tubing is its inability to withstand a higher amount of pressure. This means that the burst strength of the PEEK is much lower than it should be.

Most of the time we witness the PEEK tubing bearing the upper pressure by using the HPLC conventional equipment is 400 bar. 400 bar pressure equals 6000 psi of air pressure. However, the use of PEEK tubing above the pressure is not realistic and therefore is not even sustainable.

This is most common when using U-HPLC applications. owing to its internal diameter, the PEEK must carry the higher pressure having a small internal diameter. Smaller diameter with high wall thickness demands high burst. With PEEK tubing, however, this is not the case. One must look for the specification before using the PEEK tubing for pressure less than 4000 psi.

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