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March 24, 1998 PEEK™ Polymer's Strength And Sterilizability Are Major Factors in Instrument Re-Design When Electroscope, Inc., of Boulder CO, a manufacturer of minimally invasive electrosurgical instrumentation, was considering re-designing certain components of their Universal Active Electrode Monitoring System® (AEM ), they turned to Upchurch Scientific, of Oak Harbor, Washington for help. Upchurch Scientific re-engineered the system's 5mm laparoscopic handle using VICTREX® PEEK™ polymer. According to Mike Bailey, vice president of sales and new product development at Upchurch Scientific, “The handle holds jaw inserts such as scissors or graspers which the surgeon uses to perform the electrosurgery. Typically surgeons have very strong hands so there is a lot of load on the handles. We needed a material that could provide enough strength and rigidity so that surgeons could squeeze it with a potentially high amount of force and not have it flex or distort. PEEK™ polymer provides the structural strength needed for repeated instrument use. It also gives the handle enough impact strength to withstand being dropped on the floor.” A critical factor in the design of any surgical instrument is its ability to be sterilized with negligible degradation. Says Bailey, “The fact that PEEK™ polymer can be sterilized beyond 200 autoclave cycles without the degradation that occurs with other materials is proof of the material's robustness, strength and structural integrity.” Another major consideration in the re-design of the handle was the dielectric strength of the material used. Says Bailey, “Because the handle sees up to 3000 volts, the material must have a high dielectric strength. PEEK™ polymer was chosen for its excellent electrical insulation properties.” Equally important to the re-design process was the aesthetic appeal of the handle. Says Bailey, “It had to be consistent in color, smooth and fully crystalline. This is where our experience came in. We've been molding PEEK™ polymer for more than ten years and we understand the material and what it takes to mold it well.” In addition, Upchurch Scientific designed, prototyped and insert-molded several stainless steel parts into the PEEK™ polymer handle which helped decrease cost, development time, and ensure electrical insulation properties. This detailed insert molding is something Bailey says, “90% of other companies wouldn't touch.” Upchurch Scientific is an ISO 9001 registered company that manufactures components for medical devices and fluid transfer products out of high-end engineering thermoplastics through injection molding, extrusion, and machining. Victrex USA Inc., a division of Victrex plc., is the sole manufacturer and supplier of PEEK™ polymer worldwide. For more information on the properties and performance advantages of VICTREX® PEEK™ polymer, please call (800) VICTREX. The PEEK™ Trademark For many years Victrex plc has been using the PEEK™ trademark to refer to its brand of Polyaryletherketone. Victrex plc is the sole manufacturer and supplier of the PEEK™ brand polymer worldwide. PEEK™ is a trademark of Victrex plc. © 2004 Copyright Notice. |