Teleflex - Insulated Medical Wire and Micro-Diameter Tubing

• Teleflex Medical OEM is a leading manufacturer of laser-stripped wire.
• Two or more raw materials typically are used to build a wire:
  • Metal material to transport electric signals or provide strength
  • Insulating material is used to isolate metal from the neighboring environment
• Bonding material, which also can insulate, is used to adhere individual wires into one solid group or promote thermal bonding within the body of a device.
• Size range: 30 to 46 AWG (American Wire Gauge)

Wire Materials:

• Copper/copper alloys
• Stainless steel
• Alloy 400
• Copper clad steel
• Titanium
• Nitinol
• Silver
• Constantan
• CS95 alloy
• DFT® Wire (Drawn Filled Tubing)
• Nickel/nickel alloys
• Iron
• Nichrome 80/60/20

Insulation and Bonding Materials:

• Polyimide
• PD-Slick™ (a blend of PTFE and polyimide)
• Polyester
• Nylon
• Polyurethane
• Pebax®
• Formvar®
• Polyvinyl butyral bond
• Epoxy

Known Applications:

• Electrophysiology
• Peripheral vascular
• Pain management
• Urology
• Cardiology
• Neurology
• Endoscopy
• Laparoscopy

Insulated, Single Strand:

• Single end wire:
  • Coated, thin-film insulation of cross-linked polymer insulation without sacrificing dielectric strength.
  • Bare wire dimensions: .00158” to .010” (.040mm to .250mm)

Insulated, Multi-Filar Wire:

• Multi-filar parallel or twisted wire:
  • A pair of insulated wires that are parallel bonded, side-by-side, in a filar construction that uses polymeric materials.
  • Multiple, colored wires and different metal types can be bonded together or parallel twisted.
  • Up to four wires can be bonded, up to 19 wires can be twisted (depending on the size of the wire).
  • Individual wires can be bonded together to form a ribbon that are electrically isolated from one another and are positioned side-by-side.
• Bare wire dimensions: .00158” to .005” (.40mm to .127mm)

Single Thermocouple, Parallel Wire:

• The joining of two wires, continuously down the length, to form thermocouples, which includes types E, J, K, and T.
• Bare wire dimensions: .0015” to .005” (.40mm to .127mm)

Single Thermocouple, Twist Wire:

• The single-thermocouple wires are joined by twisting them together, down the length, to form thermocouples, which includes types E, J, K, and T.
• Any two conductors can be joined in this fashion. The twisted design is good for applications where the thermocouple wires are repeatedly flexed.
• Bare wire dimensions: .000158” to .005” (.040mm to .127mm)

Multi-Thermocouple, Twist Wire:

• Teleflex Medical OEM can twist two paired wires together to form thermocouples, including types E, J, K, and T.
• The twisted design is good for applications where the thermocouple wires are repeatedly flexed.
• Bare wire dimensions: . 00158” to .010” (.040mm to .25mm)

Stranded Wire:

• Teleflex Medical OEM manufactures stranded wire by taking 7 or 19 ends of insulated wires (with equal diameters) and twisting them into one continuous construction to craft a round cable. This process delivers a consistent and smooth surface. Applications include medical, electrical, specialty, and any high-flex situation.
• Stranded wires are available with a polymer coating on the outside of the conductor construction. The wires can be insulated prior to twisting or after.
  • 2 to 19 wires can be twisted together to form a cable.
  • A 7-end strand is 6 conductors around 1.
• A 19-end strand is 6-conductors around 1 with 12-conductors around that group of 7 for a total of 19.
• Sizes: 32 to 46 AWG

Twisted Wire:

• Twisted wire is composed of multiple ends of individual wires that have been insulated; then twisted or cabled into one continuous construction. This type of construction can make most type E, J, K, and T thermocouples.
• A single-end wire is used to form a multi-end, twisted construction.
• Multiple wires that are twisted together generally have greater tensile strength than a single-end wire that is the same diameter as the twisted construction.

Laser Stripping:

• • Laser ablation, or laser wire stripping, is a non-mechanical, non-chemical process for removing the outer polymer layer, or coating, from specific locations on a wire substrate.
  • Some applications require material removal to expose an insulated wire’s underlying metal conductor. Due to the small wire diameter requirement in these devices, Teleflex Medical OEM uses an automated laser-stripping process. Traditional, manual stripping methods can be time consuming, unrepeatable, and produce poor results.
  • Laser ablation is available for single and multi-wire diameters.
  • Benefits of laser stripping:
    • Tight tolerances
    • No mechanical/chemical damage
    • Base metal is not altered
    • Increased productivity
    • Higher quality
    • High yields
    • Environmentally friendly
  • Laser stripping technical information:
    • Available for single and multi-wire diameters of .003” to .010” (.0762mm to .254mm).
    • Single or multiple stripped sections from .0150 to 3.00” (.38 to 76.2mm).
    • Additional sizes and configurations available upon request.
    • Straightened and cut to length: 2.5” to 120”

Laser-Welded Thermocouple:

• • • In order to produce a thermocouple, dissimilar, insulated conductors are laser stripped to expose the wires.
    • Thermocouple types:
      • T: 32° to 662°F (0 to 350°C)
      • J: 32° to 1385°F (0 to 750°C)
      • K: 32° to 2282°F (0 to 1250°C)
      • E: 32° to 1652°F (0 to 900°C)