The Italian company LED SpA, based in Aprilia near Rome, is specialised in the design and production of medical electronic equipment. Thermolast M from Kraiburg TPE was specified for their reusable Surgeon Pencil S. The device is said to provide a number of outstanding features that benefit from the medical conformity, design freedom and aesthetics of the TPE compounds.
Unipolar electrode handpieces are important instrumentals in high-frequency electrosurgery. Together with different active electrodes, they are used for sensitive cutting and coagulating procedures that require a firm and comfortable grip. The Surgeon Pencil S meets these requirements with several parts moulded in different Thermolast M grades.
The ergonomic design of the lightweight (30 g) device comprises a central handpiece with a screw-on electrode holder, two different-coloured CUT/COAG button rings (yellow/blue) and a cable end. The body parts of the tool are two-component mouldings with a solid polypropylene core and a TPE soft-touch skin. Apart from excellent long-term, direct adhesion from this combination, the TPE overmoulding ensures the secure non-slip grip of the tapered instrument for fatigue-free surgery and comfort even in wet conditions. The convex shape of the button rings forms a supporting area for the surgeon’s fingers, and the buttons provide reassuring tactile feedback when engaged or disengaged.
The product accommodates electrodes from 2.4 mm in diameter and above, and complies with the safety requirements of AAMI/ANSI Standard HF18 for electrosurgical devices. The pen can be autoclaved up to 100 times at 134 °C.
| “For our advanced medical devices and instruments, we rely on high-performance materials that meet all the strict regulations in healthcare while at the same time offering greater design freedom for functional form and innovation,” says Fulvio Clementini style designer manager, LED SpA. “The outstanding property profile of Thermolast M and the excellent cooperation between our team and Kraiburg TPE made a significant contribution to accelerating the time-to-market of our Surgeon Pencil S product.” |