Keywords
Citation
(1998), "Electropolished stainless steel life savers", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 45 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.1998.12845eab.011
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1998, MCB UP Limited
Electropolished stainless steel life savers
Methods
Electropolished stainless steel life savers
Keywords Anopol, Cleaning, Electropolishing, Medical
A tiny stainless steel tubular device used in the treatment of patients with heart disease, is chemically cleaned and electropolished for total integrity of the surface by Stainless & Allied Services (SAS) of Bordon, part of the Anopol group.
Developed and manufactured by Biocompatibles of Farnham the device, called a "stent", is used to keep a path open through blocked arteries and deliver an antithrombosis drug to the precise point in the body where it is needed.
Manufacturing the intricate mesh surface of the miniature stent tube leaves super fine burrs. Controlled electropolishing removes the burrs and enhances the surface cleanliness. SAS provides technical support and has installed a laboratory facility specifically for electropolishing and inspecting the stents under stringent control conditions each stent is worth several hundred pounds.
Mechanical or thermal forces applied to a stainless steel surface can alter the metallurgical construction. Electropolishing restores the integrity of the surface and is widely used in the manufacture of stainless steel medical and surgical products and by the pharmaceutical and food industries to give a micro-smooth, contamination-free finish.
Further details are available from Anopol Limited, 70 Bordesley Street, Birmingham B5 5QJ, UK. Tel: +44(0) 0121 632 6888; Fax: +44(0) 0121 631 2274.