Medical device manufacturing has significantly advanced over the past several decades, resulting in more innovations for producers, providers, and patients. Ultrafast lasers are important for allowing companies to create more cutting-edge items in shorter time frames.

Those improvements help businesses meet increasing demands while offering goods that improve outcomes for those using them.

1. Accelerating Marking Methods

Regulations require medical devices to have identifying marks that enable tracking and safeguard them from potential counterfeiting attempts.

Lasers meet those requirements because they will not rub off as ink might, and the marks withstand the repeated disinfection and sterilization processes used in healthcare environments. Clients requesting laser markings on medical devices also have plenty of design flexibility, which can include numerals, words, images, or scannable codes.

Some companies improving the medical device manufacturing industry have examined how ultrafast lasers could elevate output metrics. One business built a system that integrates with a picosecond fiber laser and improves throughput by up to 550% when marking stainless steel medical wires.

These lasers are widely used in orthopedics to hold bones in the correct alignment as they heal and, more broadly, in medicine for suturing. People also use medical wires to create stents that treat blocked arteries. They choose specific stainless-steel alloys depending on biocompatibility needs and whether there’s a risk of an item in the body corroding over time.

Manufacturers should consider optimizing the results from ultrafast lasers by implementing other internal process improvements to reduce operator errors. Marking an item twice or in the incorrect area are two common mistakes, and both cause product waste. However, automated systems can detect existing marks or correctly position products, preventing these issues and keeping output high.

This workflow improvement is an example of how other advanced production systems can complement laser tools and meet producers’ quality control standards.

2. Addressing Emerging Needs

Researchers develop many medical devices after realizing some demographics face particular challenges that the right products could overcome. Such was the case for a South Korean group that recognized issues that would emerge as the country’s residents age. They wanted to make a device to treat vascular diseases, which are becoming more common in older people in their nation. That led to a laser-patterned surface treatment for stents that could overcome many issues with traditional stents.

One problem is conventional metal stents often cause blood vessels to narrow again because of a proliferation of smooth muscle cells. This can happen as soon as a month after the initial insertion. Drug-eluting versions can reduce the problem, but those devices increase the risk of thrombosis and require patients to take specific medications to reduce the dangers.

This alternative uses ultrafast lasers to etch nano and microscale wrinkle patterns on the stent’s surface. Experiments showed this reduced smooth muscle cell growth in the laser-treated area by 75%.

Additionally, there was a twofold increase in new blood vessels. The researchers said the patterns made with the nanosecond lasers allow them to selectively control how vascular cells respond without using drugs. They also noted that the wide availability of these lasers increases commercialization potential by enabling manufacturers to produce the patterned stents at scale with precise results.

Researchers have also investigated other high-tech methods of boosting procedures’ success rates. One example involved using artificial intelligence to deliver drugs and reduce implant rejection rates. All procedures pose risks to patients. However, advancements like these improve the outcomes, encouraging people to move forward with recommended treatments.

3. Ultrafast Lasers Reduce Contamination Risks

Medical device contamination is a serious problem with life-threatening and deadly consequences. It can happen during operations due to aerosol particles, dirty surgical gloves, and surgeons touching devices to patients’ skin before implanting them.

However, contamination can also occur in medical device manufacturing plants, introducing significant legal and reputation-related issues for those suspected or found at fault.

Healthcare facilities can reduce this issue with robotic surgical or instrument-cleaning equipment. This approach usually reduces the human contact between patients and devices, which can increase overall hygiene by enabling more consistency. Specialized automation can bring similarly positive outcomes at the production level.

One example is a fully automated laser-texturing and marking system. Operators can switch between femtosecond, picosecond, and nanosecond lasers, depending on whether they need to add texture, permanent black marks, or general marks or engraving.

An integrated 3D vision system determines the size and shape of individual devices. The machine also automatically stores the details of batches of parts for processing and logs the associated data. This allows users to keep production flowing smoothly while maintaining all internally required procedures.

This machine has a six-axis robotic system and contactless laser technology to eliminate contamination risks. It also offers excellent versatility, allowing manufacturers to alter devices ranging from orthopedic implants to bone screws. The lasers also provide more control than other methods, such as sandblasting. Company leaders ready to embrace the Industry 4.0 revolution with ultrafast lasers will find this purposeful machine fits into their existing processes.

4. Using Ultrafast Lasers to Process Polymer Tubing

Medical professionals use polymer tubing in urology flow and drainage systems, drug delivery applications, and more. These products offer numerous benefits that make them ideal for healthcare, including biocompatibility, flexibility, and chemical resistance. Manufacturers drill into or cut this material to prepare it for the desired application.

However, they follow specific protocols so these alterations don’t introduce unwanted materials or degrade the surrounding material. Manufacturers also prefer cold-processing techniques because they reduce the associated thermal impacts. One of the two laser-based approaches involves using ultrafast femtosecond or picosecond types. They can process the material by vaporizing rather than melting it.

Researchers tested both to drill holes into various types of medical tubing, finding the results varied depending on the material. Femtosecond lasers made precise holes in nylon with no noticeable color changes.

Conversely, this process altered the color of polyurethane tubing, presumably because of heat buildup. The project participants suggested air or water-cooled methods could prevent that. Additionally, the picosecond laser caused excessive melting around the created hole, emphasizing the need to test and understand the effects on medical devices.

Driving Progress in Medical Device Manufacturing

Ultrafast lasers will continue enhancing processes used by those manufacturing medical products. Whether decision-makers want to improve specific steps or automate entire workflows, exciting possibilities already exist and the medical device industry can expect more to come.

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Emily Newton is the editor-in-chief of Revolutionized. She’s always excited to learn how the latest industry trends will improve the world. She has over five years of experience covering stories in the science and tech sectors.