Patients may not think about them much, but catheters often play a critical role in saving lives.

Catheters are an essential tool in healthcare. More than a million cardiac catheterization procedures occur annually in the U.S. alone. Worldwide, over 100 million urinary catheters are being consumed annually—approximately 200 used every minute. In fact, about 80% of all hospitalized patients require some type of catheter during their stay.

However, none of this happens without precision manufacturing and a surprisingly complex process using laser drilling and marking to ensure flawless performance.

Why Precision Matters

Catheters are thin, flexible tubes inserted into the body to drain fluids or deliver medications. Depending on their function, they may be made of thermoplastics, polyimides, or custom polymer blends and often combine two or three different layers.

The difference between a catheter that performs reliably and one that doesn’t is measured in microns. For example, the holes that allow fluid to exit or enter the body through a catheter tip with precision-engineered openings 100 microns wide by one millimeter long. Lasers can drill in even smaller sizes as well—critical since dimensions can vary significantly depending on catheter type and use.

These aren’t just pinholes.

They are precision-engineered openings, placed in exactly the right location. Getting it right requires extreme precision. During the manufacturing process, for example, you might have four holes at the tip, then have to rotate the catheter 90 degrees and drill four more, and then do it again.

Traditional drilling processes like mechanical presses or micro-drilling bits may work OK for metals or rigid plastics, but not for catheters. Typically, anything under a half millimeter can be extremely challenging to do mechanically. In addition, you’ve got to remember: these tubes aren’t just small, they’re flexible. The solution is laser drilling.

Laser micromachining’s precisely focused beam can ablate material without touching it (no pressure, no heat spread, no deformation). Spot sizes are so small, even low-power UV lasers can produce high energy density, creating clean, crisp holes with virtually no collateral damage.

Matching Lasers to Materials

The choice of laser depends heavily on the type of plastic being drilled. UV nanosecond lasers are often the go-to, offering reliable performance for many catheter materials. But some thermoplastics don’t absorb UV energy well. In those cases, manufacturers often turn to UV picosecond lasers, which offer shorter pulse durations and better interaction with difficult plastics. UV picosecond lasers enable cold ablation, which minimizes heat-affected zones (HAZ), which can distort polymers.

And if that doesn’t work? There’s the femtosecond laser—a tool so precise it’s capable of micromachining at nearly atomic scales. However, these come at a cost. They’re expensive, and you need a high volume to justify the ROI.

The Need for Mandrels and Post-Processing

When drilling a hole in a hollow tube, there’s always the risk of accidentally blasting all the way through to the opposite side. That’s why manufacturers insert a mandrel—a solid rod—into the tubing during the laser process.

Choosing the right mandrel is just as important. The laser doesn’t know it’s supposed to stop, so you want a material that won’t contaminate or ablate easily. Teflon and ceramic are solid choices, but they may still leave some small debris behind.

Even with gas assist and fume extraction, laser ablation produces debris. No matter what gas you use, you’ll still have unacceptable debris. You’ll need to clean it, typically with an ultrasonic bath. Remember, these may be medical devices going into someone’s body. You want to avoid leaving even microscopic particles on the catheter’s surface or interior.

Automation for Rotating and Staggering Holes

Catheters often require holes spaced around their circumference, not just along one side. That means the system needs to rotate the tube precisely and drill clusters of holes in each position.

This requires a laser system that’s accurate, automated, and synchronized with motion controls.

Marking and drilling catheters isn’t like labeling shampoo bottles. The tolerances are tighter, the stakes are higher, and the systems must be smarter. If you miss by a millimeter on a bottle cap, it’s not an issue. But if you miss by one millimeter on a catheter, you might miss it entirely.

Once calibrated, lasers can hit the same spot every time. Vision tools help with verification but are not needed for constant realignment. The result is a highly automated, integrated process that balances repeatability with medical-grade accuracy.

Adding UDI Codes

Beyond drilling, catheters also need to be marked with part numbers, manufacturing data, or a Unique Device Identifier (UDI) code for traceability. These marks are tiny data matrix codes with exceptionally small cell sizes. For example, a 24×24 UDI code might need to be fit into a 250-micron square. For custom systems, sizes can go even smaller.

Although it’s technically possible to mark and drill with the same machine, most manufacturers perform these steps separately. Laser marking is typically done at the opposite end from where holes are drilled, and it usually happens in separate steps.

This is often due to differing optimal laser parameters for each process, throughput considerations, and the need for quality control checks for drilling and marking.

Laser System Integration

For companies new to catheter manufacturing, laser system integration can be complex. It’s important to work with experienced laser manufacturers with experience in laser drilling for catheters. Some of your first steps will include:

• Defining the hole size, quantity, and location first
• Considering how long the tubing is since your laser may only have five to six inches of travel
• Understanding your material’s compatibility with various laser types

Job shops, contract manufacturers, and big-name companies are manufacturing millions of catheters every day to meet demand, and laser micromachining is critical to getting it right.

Alex Laymon became president and director of DPSS Lasers (now a Laserax company) in 1998. He previously served as the vice president of engineering at LiCONiX, following a series of technical positions that included engineering manager and senior laser engineer. Laymon received his B.S. in Engineering Physics and his M.B.A. at Santa Clara University. His decades of expertise in UV lasers now contribute to Laserax’s mission to shape the future of high-precision laser solutions.