PVD and PaCVD coatings for Medical and Dental applications
Barrier effect and biocompatibility
The choice of safe technologies allows you to offer cutting-edge tools, prostheses and medical devices. Our biocompatible coatings are the added value you are looking for.
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Main benefits
Certified biocompatibility
There are strict standards to ensure that the materials used are safe for use in contact with the human body. Biocompatibility is linked to the UNI EN ISO 10993 standard (Biological evaluation of medical devices) which regulates the evaluation of medical devices biocompatibility. Our coatings are suitable for medical use due to their non-cytotoxic ceramic nature and they are certified according to this standard.
It is important to underline that this certification refers to the product and not to the process, therefore the biocompatibility is verified for the complete product and all its construction phases including the treatment.
Resistance and sliding
The tribological characteristics of our treatments extend the life span of instruments, prostheses and medical devices components.
Orthopedics is the branch belonging to the medical sector that makes the most out of PVD coatings as the primary needs concern wear and sliding performance. For example, DLC and WC/C treatments are used to reduce sliding and involute friction (adjustment screws) of complex orthopedic systems (such as trapezoidal section worm screws).
Chromaticity and anti-reflection properties
In surgery, all titanium-derived coatings (TiN, TiCN, TiAlCN) are used for instrumentation, exploiting the different chromaticities with the aim of facilitating and speeding up the recognition of objects in the operating room.
Bacteriostaticity and osseointegration
Our medical coatings provide antimicrobial properties that help reduce bacterial growth and the risk of surgical infections.
The barrier effect produced by PVDs prevents the dissolution of Ni present in many CrCoMo-based prosthesis alloys, reducing the risk of allergic effects.
Our solutions facilitate the growth of osteoblasts thanks to their surface very similar to the original one, avoiding infections and at the same time favoring the integration of prostheses.
Surprising, advanced. Discover the applications that can benefit from our coatings.
Surgical instruments
Coatings for surgical instruments improve their functionality and aesthetics, making them more recognizable in the operating room. Biocompatible and highly durable, they are designed to keep instruments sharp and safe for use, even after prolonged use and repeated sterilization cycles.
For example the different shades of color allow to identify cutting masks of different sizes, or components of the same color can communicate what the functions of an instrument are.
Surgery also exploits the characteristics of maintaining the cutting wire conferred by the coating on the tool: this is the case of scalpels and scissors treated in TiN or DLC.
Implantable
In this case, maximum reliability is sought in terms of hardness and safety. Our solutions dedicated to hip, knee and shoulder prostheses are designed to increase the implant life cycle and contain the release of sensitive elements, such as nickel. They are used on implantology screws and prostheses. For the knee, PVD coatings increase the life of the prosthesis and reduce the friction coefficient of the femoral component system – polyethylene disc – tibial plate.
Dental implants and abutments
The accuracy and durability requirements of the components are critical. We offer you coating solutions that guarantee the best results in terms of osseointegration of the screws, resistance to abrasion and stability in the joints. The application of TiN is very widespread for dental implantology screws and the related support abutments of prostheses. Bacteriostaticity and osseointegration are the characteristics of the coatings that are enhanced.
Why an STS coating?
Customized solutions are at the heart of our STS Lab’s activities. With us you can study and test customized solutions according to the base material, the environment in which the operator will carry out his/her activity and the way in which he/she will operate, all with the utmost confidentiality.
Furthermore, for treatments concerning the medical sector, all the tests necessary to guarantee compliance with the parameters of the EN 10993 certification are provided at the end of the process.
Green technology
Make your choice meaningful.
Minimize your impact. By relying on our process engineering, you can choose from the most eco-sustainable coatings. Are you looking for a truly green coating solution?
Discover why our technology is “green”
