The Product

Meta-Poly®

Meta-Poly ® is a proprietary plating process that atomically bonds metal directly to a polymer substrate without using toxic chromic acid. Although medical device uses for Meta-Poly® are vast, it is especially exciting for catheter applications. With this innovation, manufacturers can precisely add current-conducting paths onto polymers. The type of metal is tailored to the application, and Meta-Poly® can be selectively applied to the desired component with endless design options.

Coating Precious Metal onto Plastic

Metal on polymers was first widely used by the automotive industry in the 1960s. It is still frequently performed by that industry today. It is commonly achieved through the electroless plating process. Traditionally, before coating can be applied, a chemical etching process is performed to prepare the surface of the polymer.

The Challenge

The chemical etching process traditionally used to prepare the plastic surface for plating involves toxic chromic acid-based solutions. Although this may be beneficial for adhesion and an acceptable process for the automotive industry, this toxic surface preparation is not acceptable for medical industry applications. There are readily available alternative methods, such as painting the polymer with metallic-filled paint so that the layer of paint is conductive and electroplating can then be applied. However, this method is also problematic in critical applications like medical devices due to the bond being only as strong as the paint, which causes adhesion failures. 

The Engineered Solution

After a complete analysis of the manufacturing process, an innovative use of current technologies was developed by ProPlate® to electroplate polymer substrates without the use of chemical etching or metal-filled paints. Because this proprietary process does not involve chemical etching, biocompatibility is not an issue. With ProPlate’s Meta-Poly® innovation, the bond between the polymer substrate and electroplated metal is comparable to a metal-to-metal atomically electroplated bond, eliminating the adhesion issues experienced using alternative methods. Although the medical device applications are limitless, Meta-Poly® is especially exciting for catheter applications. For example, ProPlate® can selectively add  current-conducting paths to polymers. Meta-Poly® provides the same benefits as plating on metallic surfaces, eliminates the risk of dislodgment, maintains a low profile and provides endless possibilities for design customization.

The Benefit

• Reduce Device Profile
• Biocompatible
• Atomically Bonded Coating
• Selectively Applied
• Electrically Conductive
• Maintain Polymer Plasticity

Potential Applications

• Micro-Circuitry & Electrodes
• Sensing & Signals
• Stimulation & Ablation
• Monitoring & Diagnostics