Advantages of Hydak® Hydrosleek Coatings
Lubricious: Exhibit an extremely low surface friction
Biocompatible: Made from hyaluronic acid, a
natural biopolymer
Durable: Able to withstand the rigors of basic
invasive procedures
Non-thrombogenic: Resists absorption of fibrin and
platelet adhesion
Hydrophilic: Absorbs water to increase lubricity
Thin: Less than 4 microns thick!
The HYDAK® Coating System is an excellent consideration for use in medical devices.
Possible applications for this
technology include:
Micro catheters
Balloons
Guide wires
Stents
Blood contacting surfaces
Hydak® HydroSleek coatings are based on a high molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid (HA). This technology has applications among a range of fields including ophthalmology, urology, cardiology, endoscopy, and others. While some coatings trade lubricity for durability gained trhough a higher degree of crosslinking, HydroSleek coatings have overcome that trade-off.
These coatings are composed of two layers: a polyacrylate base coat and a proprietary hyaluronic acid top coat covalently bonded to the base coat. The combination can be applied to a multitude of different substrates (see Table). The total thickness of both layers can be as thin as 2 to 3 µm when dry, swelling to 10 µm when wet. The covalent bonding of the top coat to the base coat ensures consistent quality and physical properties.
Unlike some other coating systems, Hydak® is applied via dipping, injecting, spraying, or wiping and is heat cured at temperatures from 40 to 70°C. There is no photo curing equipment necessary. This produces several advantages:
- Hydak® coatings are easily applied to lumens
- UV exposure of the surface is not required
- Heat-sensitive substrates are easily accommodated with
lower curing temperatures - Heat curing allows for uniform coating properties through
the entire cross section
