Low-Pressure Plasma for Medical Technology
The demands placed on medical components, such as catheters, syringe components, diagnostic systems, and microfluidic applications, are constantly increasing. New materials, more complex geometries, and stricter quality requirements make surface pretreatment a critical step in the manufacturing process. In bonding, coating, and joining processes, surfaces must be reliably prepared to ensure consistent results and stable, long-term bonds. At the same time, manufacturers are increasingly turning to high-performance plastics, such as COC, COP, PTFE, FEP, and PFA. While these materials offer numerous advantages for medical applications, they present challenges for manufacturing. Due to their low surface energy, they are often difficult to bond or coat. Additionally, there is a rising demand for process reliability, traceability, and sustainability.
Surface modification using low-pressure plasma is a proven solution for these tasks. Plasma is generated in a vacuum chamber at low process pressures. In this controlled environment, the ionized gases react specifically with the surface of the component. This removes organic contaminants, activates surfaces, and modifies chemical properties. Because the process is performed without wet chemistry and with minimal thermal stress, it is particularly well-suited for sensitive materials and demanding applications in medical technology.
A key advantage is the ability to treat complex geometries homogeneously. Unlike many conventional pretreatment methods, plasma reaches hard-to-access areas within a component. This is important in catheter and tubing connections, for example, where both the internal and external joint surfaces must be reliably treated. The improved wettability subsequently supports the uniform distribution of adhesive, helping to achieve stable, leak-tight connections.
Precise Process Control for Demanding Applications
With the new AURORA-Plasma product line, Plasmatreat now offers medical device manufacturers a low-pressure solution for challenging surface treatment processes. This series was developed for applications requiring precise process control, high homogeneity, and consistent results. Within the sealed vacuum chamber, process parameters and treatment duration can be precisely controlled and tailored to specific applications.
The process is carried out under controlled conditions. Depending on the requirements, different process gases are used. Oxygen removes organic contaminants and generates polar surface groups. Hydrogen reduces metal oxides, and nitrogen enables the targeted functionalization of surfaces. Argon is particularly effective for physical processes, such as microstructuring. Because environmental factors do not influence the process chemistry, stable and reproducible conditions are created for surface treatment.
A distinctive feature of AURORA-Plasma is Plasmatreat's multi-frequency approach. This approach involves combining different excitation frequencies to adapt the plasma’s properties to the material, geometry, and process objective. In combination with the specially developed plasma reactor, both radical- and ion-dominated processes can be implemented. This enables precise control over the interaction between the plasma and the surface—from gentle activation of sensitive plastics to intensive cleaning or controlled microstructuring.
"Today, medical device manufacturers must reliably handle a wide variety of materials and increasingly complex component geometries. With AURORA-Plasma, we can prepare surfaces specifically for subsequent manufacturing steps while ensuring a high degree of process reliability and reproducibility. Low-pressure plasma opens up new possibilities for stable and cost-effective production processes, especially for demanding applications that must be treated in a batch process,” says Andrej Kolbasow, Sales & Head of Low Pressure Plasma Systems at Plasmatreat.
From Catheters to Microfluidics
Low-pressure plasma has diverse potential applications in medical technology. For example, uniform activation of catheter and tubing joint surfaces ensures improved adhesion and stable, long-term connections. In diagnostics and microfluidics, surface properties can be tailored to achieve specific wetting behavior and reliable functionality. Plasma activation can also help ensure that subsequent coating or wetting processes are reproducible for syringe components made of COC or COP.
Even challenging fluoropolymers, such as PTFE, FEP, and PFA, which are difficult to treat using conventional methods, can be prepared for subsequent manufacturing steps using low-pressure plasma. Meanwhile, more and more manufacturers are seeking alternatives to wet chemical pretreatment methods. Low-pressure plasma enables targeted surface modification without using large quantities of critical chemicals. It can also help reduce process waste and emissions.
With AURORA-Plasma technology, medical device manufacturers have access to a solution that meets these growing demands. Precise and reproducible surface modification stabilizes manufacturing processes and creates the conditions necessary for reliable medical devices.