ProPlate® nominated as a finalist for “The 10 Most Innovative BIOMEDevice Boston Suppliers”
Posted in Contract Manufacturing Services by Chris Newmarker on March 15, 2016
An affordable professional-grade 3-D printer and an automatic interactive quoting system for prototyping are but some of the innovations among the 10 BIOMEDevice Boston Innovation Prize semifinalists. Help us pick the five finalists that will compete at the April 13–14 show.
Chris Newmarker
A Coating-based Braided Catheters Innovation
After becoming an MD&M West Innovation Prize finalist last month with its Torq-Lok braided catheter coating innovation, ProPlate (Anoka, MN) is back as a finalist for the Boston competition. Torq-Lok debuted 2014. The patented process atomically bonds metal directly to each braid pic, fusing them together as one at each crossing. Preliminary testing ofTorq-Lok compared to non-coated braids demonstrated a range of 30–66% greater torque response, a 66% increase in torque to failure, and a 90° twist increase, according to ProPlate. Torq-Lok could allow for more braided catheter innovation because it allows for the braid pic count to be reduced. This, in turn, reduces material costs and production time for the braid manufacturers.
ProPlate has also been innovative in other ways. Its Vizi-Band metal coating process allowed it to become a MinnesotaMedtech Week Innovation Prize semifinalist last year.
