Device Deployment Cables with Rapid Turnaround
Situation
A customer had been sourcing high strength, low creep, low elongation braided cable for their delivery system actuation cable. The customer had clearly defined physical and performance criteria like strength and creep, and needed to find a partner who could deliver on these comprehensive requirements.
Background
A customer came to us who had a delivery system currently on the market. For a next generation improvement, the customer needed to modify the delivery system to improve the user experience and the consistency of the procedure to deploy the transcatheter device.
Procedure:
ATEX developed a material meeting all specified parameters for strength and creep. Once bench testing of the cable in a finished device was completed, the material was determined to be too strong and too stiff, resulting in damage to some internal system components. ATEX and the customer quickly convened dedicated teams and began an aggressive effort to redesign the material to meet new strength and creep requirements while improving functional performance of both the material and delivery system.
Result:
In a very short period of time, a second cable configuration was developed, tested and launched for commercial use. The new configuration was the result of identification of a new raw material and a complete redesign of the braid construction. Success was achieved through substantial collaboration between ATEX and the customer, including multiple team calls each week and frequent on-site visits by both ATEX and customer.