Under the agreement, EPflex will manufacture the guidewires and DSM will provide the coating technology.
EPflex provides nitinol-based guidewire systems which offer advantages including high flexibility and stability, which enable the safe treatment of hard-to-reach lesions.
DSM’s ComfortCoat coating improves the performance of the guidewire systems by providing a durable lubricious coating, thus reducing the amount of force needed to pass through tight stenoses and reach difficult lesions.
DSM Biomedical Coatings Business Manager John Marugg said guidewires are used in many medical disciplines including urology, cardiology, radiology and gastrology.
EPflex Feinwerktechnik CEO Bernhard Uihlein said guidewires are often one of the first devices introduced into a patient’s body during surgery.
"By enhancing our products with coating technology we aim to make procedures easier for physicians while also improving patient outcomes," Uihlein said.