Catheter Adhesive Provides Cure Confirmation and Ease of Post-Cure Inspection

USA-based manufacturer of adhesives and other joining technologies Dymax has launched its first adhesive to be formulated with the company's Ultra-Red fluorescing and See-Cure adhesive technologies. Ultra-Red fluorescing technology allows manufacturers to incorporate automated or manual quality inspection to ensure complete and accurate placement of the cured adhesive. See-Cure, a patented technology, does what its name suggests. It changes colour as the adhesive cures, allowing processors to watch it curing.

The adhesive is 214-CTH-UR-SC and is designed specifically for use in catheter assembly. It is said to offer excellent bond strength to a variety of plastics including nylon 12 and Peba.

While in its uncured state, this See-Cure adhesive is blue in colour for easy verification of placement. As the product cures with sufficient exposure to UV light, its blue colour transitions to clear and provides obvious visual confirmation that the adhesive is fully cured and the bond site is secure.  

The product also fluoresces bright red under low-intensity “black” light (365 nm), contrasting extremely well on plastics that naturally fluoresce blue in colour.

Optimal cure time can be achieved by using 214-CTH-UR-SC in conjunction with a Dymax LED light-curing system, which are designed to provide users with significant advantages over conventional lamp-curing systems including cooler curing temperatures, more consistent cure results, lower intensity degradation over time, lower energy consumption, and reduced costs.