Plasma Solutions for Reliable Surface Treatment Processes in Medical Technology
COMPAMED 2026: Plasmatreat Unveils a World First in the Field of Catheter Treatment Using a Low-Pressure Plasma Process
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Reliable adhesion, technical cleanliness, and reproducible manufacturing processes are key requirements for modern medical devices. At COMPAMED 2026 in hall 8b, booth D29, Plasmatreat will demonstrate how surface treatments can be tailored to the material, component geometry, treatment objective, and production environment. The focus will be on solutions for cleaning, activation, and functional coating of medical components. Visitors will be able to experience a special highlight from the new low-pressure plasma portfolio firsthand: the internal and external treatment of wound catheters with diameters up to 0.3 mm.
Catheters, tubes, ventilator masks, diagnostic systems, and implants often combine different materials in a confined space. Their surfaces must be reliably bonded, coated, or functionalized. At the same time, requirements for technical cleanliness, biocompatibility, process reliability, and traceable manufacturing conditions are increasing. Depending on the application, conventional pretreatments using solvent-based primers or other wet chemical treatments reach technical, environmental, or economic limits.
From Surface Requirements to a Stable Process
The choice of plasma technology is not determined by the material alone. Component geometry, contamination, the desired surface function, cycle time, and the subsequent process are equally relevant. Plasmatreat therefore considers the entire process chain: Based on material and component tests, the treatment, process parameters, system design, automation, and process control are coordinated with one another. The treatment is performed without additional chemicals and is suitable for integration into automated production lines as well as for use as a stand-alone system.
Plasma cleans, activates, or functionalizes surfaces in a dry, precise, and reproducible manner. Depending on the application, the treatment can be selectively integrated directly into an automated production line or carried out in a dedicated low-pressure process chamber. The goal is not the plasma treatment itself, but rather to create a robust foundation for subsequent bonding, coating, and functionalization processes.
Openair-Plasma for Selective Inline Processes
For short cycle times and the selective treatment of defined areas, Plasmatreat presents a Plasma Treatment Unit (PTU) equipped with a PFW10 activation jet and, in addition, the new RD1004C rotating coating jet. Openair-Plasma operates at atmospheric pressure and can be automatically integrated into the production line immediately before the next manufacturing step. The jet selection and process control are tailored to the material, component contour, and required treatment width.
The new RD1004C enables the inline application of functional PlasmaPlus coatings with a treatment width of 40 millimeters. These nanoscale layers can specifically modify surface properties, for example, to improve adhesion in multi-component injection molding. One example is the manufacture of ventilator masks with an injection-molded sealing lip: Pretreatment of the rigid polypropylene component improves the adhesion of the liquid silicone. This can eliminate the need for self-adhesive liquid silicone or design undercuts and help ensure a stable bond even after sterilization. The specific design of the adhesion-promoting PlasmaPlus coating is tailored to the material combination and manufacturing process.
AURORA-Plasma for Complex Geometries
A key focus of the trade show presentation is the new AURORA-Plasma system. Inside the vacuum chamber, the low-pressure plasma surrounds the components, enabling uniform, full-surface treatment of even complex three-dimensional geometries. For example, even with wound catheters, both outer and inner surfaces with a diameter of up to 0.3 mm can be uniformly activated without any untreated shadow areas. The multi-frequency approach expands the treatment spectrum while maintaining the same process gas base and allows the plasma effect to be specifically tailored to different materials and treatment objectives.
The defined process chamber creates reproducible conditions, even for sensitive materials, hard-to-reach internal structures, and narrow process windows. Process control, monitoring, and stored recipes facilitate the transfer of parameters determined during research and development to industrial mass production. In this way, AURORA-Plasma creates reliable conditions for subsequent bonding, coating, and functionalization processes in demanding medical technology applications.
Test Applications and Develop Processes
At the booth, a live demonstration shows how plasma alters wettability and surface functionality. Visitors can bring their own material or product samples and test initial treatment options directly on the component. Plasmatreat’s technology centers are available for more complex tasks. There, application engineers work with manufacturers to examine materials and components, determine suitable process parameters, and evaluate the treatment results as a basis for the subsequent system and integration concept.
A Partner for a Wide Range of Plasma Applications
Openair-Plasma, AURORA-Plasma, and PlasmaPlus form three equally important, complementary pillars of Plasmatreat’s solution portfolio. Together, they cover a wide range of applications, from selective in-line treatment to full-surface treatment of complex geometries. Plasmatreat combines these technologies with application development, equipment engineering, automation, process control, and comprehensive service. As a result, manufacturers do not receive an isolated, standalone technology, but rather a complete process tailored to the component, material, downstream process, and production environment. The goals are reproducible results, stable process windows, and a reliable transition from initial prototyping to series production.