OEM News

Zeus Releases PFX Platform and Introduces PFX Flex Sub to Market

The polymer platform sets a new standard for catheter design with PTFE-like performance and expanded material flexibility.

By: Michael Barbella

Managing Editor

Zeus has launched PFX, a platform designed to advance catheter innovation with a focus on performance, design flexibility, and sustainability. The company also introduced PFX Flex Sub-Lite-Wall, the first product in the PFX portfolio and a next-generation catheter liner engineered as an alternative to film-cast PTFE.

For decades, PTFE has set the standard in catheter performance. As device designs continue to evolve, OEMs are seeking materials that maintain trusted performance while enabling greater flexibility, scalability, and long-term confidence, according to the company. The PFX platform represents a new chapter in catheter innovation, bringing together a portfolio of non-fluorinated polymer solutions that match the performance characteristics R&D engineers rely on, while opening new possibilities in catheter design and manufacturing.

“PFX reflects how we think about innovation at Zeus,” Zeus CEO Paddy O’Brien said. “It’s about anticipating where our customers are going and investing ahead of that curve. With PFX, we’re extending our leadership in polymer science to help OEMs design what’s next with confidence.”

The first product introduced under the PFX platform—PFX Flex Sub-Lite-Wall—is engineered to deliver PTFE-like lubricity, flexibility, and enhanced bond strength through the material itself, without additives or coatings. The material bonds directly to thermoplastics without chemical etching and is compatible with sterilization methods beyond EtO, including gamma and e-beam.

PFX Flex Sub-Lite-Wall liners are available in inner diameters ranging from 0.013″ to 0.387″, expanding design freedom across a wide range of catheter platforms and enabling applications that have traditionally relied on film-cast materials.

“For a long time, PTFE was viewed as irreplaceable in high-performance catheter applications,” Zeus Chief Technology Officer Suresh Sainath stated. “The PFX platform challenges that assumption. It delivers performance parity where it matters most, while enabling new levels of design flexibility. This is a meaningful advancement in catheter material science.”

Beyond individual product performance, PFX is designed as a scalable platform that supports a growing portfolio of polymer solutions tailored to evolving catheter requirements. Additional PFX products, including advanced catheter liners and heat-shrink solutions, are already in development with new introductions planned later this year.

In addition to performance and design flexibility, the PFX platform was developed with sustainability in mind, giving OEMs a material foundation that aligns with long-term environmental and supply chain priorities. PFX supports continuity and confidence over time, without forcing trade-offs in performance or reliability.

“Our customers want to move forward without taking on unnecessary risk,” Zeus Chief Commercial Officer Jim O’Connell commented. “PFX gives them a strong foundation to engage early, explore new designs, and gain a first-mover advantage as catheter technology continues to evolve, all while aligning with longer-term sustainability priorities.”

Headquartered in Orangeburg, S.C., Zeus considers itself the world’s leading polymer extrusion and catheter design manufacturer. More than 60 years of experience in medical, aerospace, energy, automotive, fiber optics, and more has allowed Zeus to provide solutions, enable innovation, and enhance lives. The company employs more than 2,200 people worldwide with facilities in Aiken, Columbia, Gaston, Orangeburg, and St. Matthews, S.C.; Branchburg, N.J.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; San Jose, Calif.; Arden Hills, Minn.; Guangzhou, China; and Letterkenny, Ireland.

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