There are many reasons why electroplating has become an essential part of medical device manufacturing, but the most obvious is its potential to improve patient safety by allowing the more durable materials used in implants to be rendered biocompatible. Certain metals that deliver the durability required for a major implant, such as a knee or hip replacement, can release ions or cause allergic reactions when implanted into the human body. The electroplating of these metals is essential to enable their use in implants, as it can prevent such reactions from occurring when there is contact with human tissue or internal organs. Equally important, however, is the ability to coat a component with a highly conductive metal, as many medical devices require electricity to operate, and others generate heat and, therefore, need a conductive coating to draw heat away from the body.
For medical devices that are used repeatedly - such as scopes or surgical clamps - it is important to reduce wear and tear to extend their functional lifespan. Here, electroplating can greatly increase corrosion resistance. Both use and repeated sterilization with highly alkaline cleaning products can accelerate corrosion, which can be mitigated by electroplating these instruments with the appropriate metal coating.
A related benefit of electroplated coatings is that they can, depending on the choice of metal, improve antimicrobial properties. This is important in the medical environment, where hygiene standards are high and reusable devices are frequently sanitized after they have come into contact with human tissue.
Other common uses include the coating of medical devices in high-density metals, notably gold, to block radiation. Gold is radiopaque and can prevent radiation from reaching a specific area during an X-ray procedure. Also, in the device manufacturing phase, welds may be required between different metals, which may not be easy to bond. Coating stainless steel and nickel titanium, for instance, with a common material such as nickel or gold provides a low-cost way to lower the use of more expensive alloys.
In short, electroplating can greatly enhance the functionality of many medical devices and tools by enabling them to better conduct heat and electricity, resist wear and corrosion, and create antimicrobial and biocompatible surfaces. This benefits patients, as well as device manufacturers, in many ways. With the growing prevalence of minimally invasive surgical procedures, there is a growing need for smaller surgical tools. Electroplating can play a key role in the manufacture of these tools for minimally invasive surgery. An electroplated catheter, for example, could be vital in quickly and accurately placing an implant such as a stent or a valve.
