Covering a metal surface with a polymeric material can be quite challenging. The first Challenge is to establish a bond between the metal surface and the polymer cover, two materials that do not normally bond with each other.
the metal is strongly bonded to the polymer
Adhesion properties ensure a long term attachment between the metal and the cover, and Medibrane’s engineers developed its enhanced adhesion platform for that exact reason.
Surface activation
The first step of Medibrane’s adhesion platform is surface activation. The surface activation prepares the metal surface for bonding with a polymeric material. The treatment changes the chemistry of the metal surface to provide better mechanical attachment between the cover and the stent.
Encapsulation Coating
The second step of the adhesion platform is encapsulation coating. Encapsulation Coating occurs when the stent’s metal struts are fully coated with a polymer as described in the image below.
The coating encircles the stent’s struts to form a closed loop, similar to the suturing technique. The polymer cover is implemented onto this thin tie layer. That generates a very strong connection between the cover and the encapsulated polymer.
Medibrane’s enhanced adhesion platform is the basis for all our covering solutions and it enables us to manufacture high-quality products
