Product consultancy Nexus Intelligent Engineering (Nexus IE) has designed and developed a fully automated catheter coating test system for medical device coatings supplier BioInteractions.

Nexus IE (Witchford, U.K.) designed the BIOFriC 1000 fto measure the coefficient of friction of coated catheters. The test system could have uses in both  medical R&D laboratories and product manufacturing environments.

The BIOFriC 1000 in a single test can determine the lubricity and effectiveness of specific coatings; it can also repeatedly test the catheter to determine durability.

“Nexus IE has designed the new BIOFriC 1000 system to work with BioInteractions products and to provide our customers with a fast and reliable assessment of how specific hydrophilic coatings can enhance product performance.  BioInteractions can now supply both the coating and test system that will enable medical device manufacturers to more easily assess different coating and catheter combinations while reducing their development timescales and costs when bringing innovative new products to market,” Alan Rhodes, CTO at BioInteractions (Reading, U.K.), said in a news release.

The BIOFriC 1000 will officially launch at MD&M West in Anaheim, Calif., Feb. 6–8, 2018.

(See the best minds in medtech live at DeviceTalks Boston on Oct. 2.)