Manufacturing Catheter Parts

What is a catheter?

A catheter is a thin tube, often made from a soft plastic material that can be inserted into the body. Catheters are medical devices that are prescribed by doctors. Doctors prescribe them for a few different reasons, but most people think of catheters first. However, intravenous (IV) catheters are usually more important. Doctors insert IV catheters into veins and arteries to inject medications, perform procedures, and more. Catheterization is a procedure that uses a catheter to drain the bladder when the bladder does not empty properly. Hospital staff usually perform this procedure after surgery. People with bladder dysfunction also use catheters as a daily habit.

What are the different types of catheters?

There are three main types of catheters: straight intermittent catheters, hydrophilic catheters, and closed system catheters. People with bladder control problems use direct intermittent catheters to empty their bladders. This involves self-catheterization, which occurs several times a day. Hydrophilic catheters have a polymer coating that is bonded to the catheter. The coating reduces friction and reduces the risk of urethral injury. It has been suggested that hydrophilic catheters are less likely to cause infection because they do not require manual lubrication. Finally, closed system catheters are self-lubricating and come in their own collection bag. The sterile collection bag eliminates the need to drain urine into the container. These types of catheters are most convenient for travel.

Manufactured parts for catheters

Catheter systems can consist of several different parts. The collection bag, drainage port and catheter are all important parts of the catheter system. The first step in manufacturing a catheter is to produce the long tube that is inserted into the bladder. To make this tubing, the manufacturer pours liquid silicone rubber into a rubber mold. The mold is shaped like a catheter with two or three outlets. The tip molding mold then shapes the tip, and in the IV catheter, the machine drills holes in the sides. The internal configuration of the carbide mold varies with each catheter type produced by the manufacturer. RTP GAUGE makes a variety of carbide molds used by catheter manufacturers to form catheter tips.

Challenges in Catheter Manufacturing

There is not much room for error in any medical device, so catheters must be manufactured very precisely. This means that the molds used to produce them require very tight tolerances. This can be a challenge, but companies like RTP GAUGE, which has decades of experience in manufacturing tolerances, are able to make catheter components with tolerances as low as 0.000003 inches (0.0762 microns) and features as small as 0.002 inches (0.0508 mm). Due to the large number of conduits produced by the manufacturer, the tooling can wear quickly. One way to reduce wear is to polish the contact surfaces. Lower surface finish values can extend mold life by reducing friction. rtp gauge can polish parts to a smoothness of 0.4 Ra µin (.0106µm). Don't hesitate to contact us if you're looking for better performance and longevity!