Catheter bonding Process Improvements with High-intensity Ultraviolet Curing Systems

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) curing is a common process used in medical devices manufacturing for bonding operations. Light-curable adhesives provide rapid cure, great adhesion, and good chemical resistance for sterilization processes. This project studies the effect of the implementation of a new UV curing technology for manifold catheters manufacturing. The upgrade consists of moving from the current mercury light bulb UV to an LED bulb. Benefits from improvements include energy savings, improved process performance, and reduction of maintenance activities. Process performance is evaluated by its capability of meeting the tensile force design spec of 3.38lbf. Key Process Inputs (KPI) that affect the tensile strength output are UV Intensity and Process Cure Time. A Design of Experiments explored the lower and upper limits of adhesive curing time and intensity parameters, and their impact on tensile values. Key Terms ⎯ Adhesives; LED; UV Cure; Catheters; Medical Devices.