Product Specification

What is a Laser Cut Hypotube?

Laser cut hypotube is a small-diameter, thin-walled metal tube manufactured with advanced laser cutting technology. These flexible tubes are vital in various medical procedures, especially in catheter assemblies and interventional devices like flexible catheter shafts and delivery systems. Their small size and flexibility enable navigation through complex anatomical structures, such as blood vessels. Additionally, the hollow design allows for the control of medical tools and the delivery of therapeutic drugs during procedures.

How Are Hypotubes Made?

The manufacturing process of hypotubes includes several key steps:

• Material Selection: Choosing high-quality materials like stainless steels and Nitinol.

• Material Processing: Optimizing Nitinol through precise temperature control.

• PTFE Coating Services: Applying a PTFE coating to enhance lubricity.

• Programming: Creating programs for five-axis laser cutting machines.

• Laser Cutting: Cutting the tubes on five-axis machines to create intricate designs.Punching: Creating holes or indentations with precision.

• Riveting: Processing reusable riveted hypotubes.

• Cleaning: Deburring and cleaning the tubes using electrolytic and ultrasonic methods.

• Quality Control: Ensuring accuracy and adherence to medical standards.

Among these steps,laser cutting is a crucial process in the production of hypotubes, enabling the creation of complex designs with exceptional precision essential for medical applications. This advanced non-contact technique allows for the formation of detailed features and micron-sized shapes without causing mechanical deformation, effectively eliminating the risk of burrs or defects.

Manners utilizes cutting-edge five-axis laser cutting machines capable of achieving sub-micron repeatability, enabling engineers to custom-design hypotube-catheter systems that navigate complex anatomical pathways. The versatility of laser cutting supports various designs, including straight cuts, slots, angled cuts, and intricate patterns, making it easy to tailor hypotubes for specific applications. Additionally, this process can be configured for both manual and automated processing, enhancing manufacturing efficiency.

Laser Cut Hypotube Solutions

Our Laser Cut Hypotube Solutions cater to modern medical and industrial applications by utilizing advanced five-axis laser cutting technology. This process allows us to produce high-precision hypotubes essential for procedures like catheter assemblies, enabling intricate designs and precise dimensions for optimal performance in complex anatomical pathways.

We provide customization based on material selection and customer specifications, using 304 and 316 stainless steel, 17-7PH, MP35N, and Nitinol. For nitinol hypotube, we carefully control the temperature during processing to preserve its unique properties. Additionally, we offer a PTFE coating for enhanced lubricity and improved traceability.

Focusing on quality and efficiency, our solutions minimize defects such as burrs and mechanical deformation, maintaining the integrity of each hypotube. Whether you need small prototypes or large production runs, our Laser Cut Hypotube Solutions provide the reliability and customization you require.

What Are Hypotubes Used For?

Hypotubes serve a wide range of purposes in both the medical field and various industrial applications.

Medical Applications

• Catheters and Guide Wires: Hypotubes are extensively used in interventional devices like catheters and guide wires, where their small size and flexibility allow them to navigate complex vascular systems. This enables the precise delivery of surgical tools, devices, or drugs to specific areas in the body.

• Endoscopes: In endoscopic procedures, hypotubes are utilized in the bending sections, ensuring smooth and precise navigation through delicate parts of the body.

• Surgical Robots and Medical Cables: Hypotubes act as load-bearing elements and are often swaged to stainless steel or tungsten cables in surgical robots. These tubes help improve the flexibility and strength of cables used in robotic surgery and other medical instrumentation.

• Needles and Cannulas: Hypotubes are used in the manufacturing of needles and cannulas, offering the precision required for minimally invasive procedures.

• Heart Stents: Hypotubes are used in medical-grade stents, particularly for cardiovascular interventions, offering precision and flexibility to support blood vessel structures.

▲ Endoscope Bending Section Made by Hypotube

Industrial Applications

• Fluid Delivery and Sensing: In industries requiring precision, such as fluid delivery systems and instrumentation, hypotubes play a key role by offering tight control and accuracy in confined spaces.

• Mechanical Cable Assembly: Originally designed for use in guidewires and needles, hypotubes have become a popular alternative to traditional mechanical cables, joining cable segments or providing a load-bearing point, particularly in the robotics and precision instrumentation sectors.

Different Types of Laser Cut Hypotube Patterns

Various cutting patterns can improve flexibility, torque transmission, and overall performance of hypotubes. Each method is designed to meet specific needs in medical and industrial applications. From Continuous and Interrupted Spiral Cuts to Brickwork and Jigsaw Patterns, the design choice affects both the mechanical properties of the hypotube and its effectiveness for different tasks.

Continuous Spiral Cut Hypotubes & Interrupted Spiral Cut Hypotubes

The easiest way to make a tube flexible is by cutting it into a spiral, which allows for different bend radii by altering the pitch. This type of hypotube is referred to as Continuous Spiral Cut Hypotubes. However, a full spiral lacks good torque transmission, as twisting one end has little effect on the other. To improve torque and pushability without significantly reducing flexibility, the spiral can be broken so that the cuts do not go around the entire circumference. These hypotubes, known as Interrupted Spiral Cut Hypotubes.

Straight Lines Cut Hypotubes

A different technique for creating flexible hypotubes involves using straight lines that run partially around the circumference. This method provides better pushability and torquability but less flexibility than a pure spiral. To achieve multi-plane flexibility, these lines are rotated, typically by 90 degrees. However, straight lines can cause stainless steel to crack under repeated flexing, especially at the tips where stress is highest. To mitigate this, I-shaped cuts are used, spreading the load and increasing durability, though this also increases manufacturing time and costs.

Brickwork Pattern Cut Hypotubes

Brickwork Pattern Cut Hypotubes feature a design characterized by parallel lines of interrupted incisions that resemble the arrangement of stones in a brick wall. This unique pattern not only provides aesthetic appeal but also enhances the functional properties of the hypotube. The interrupted nature of the cuts contributes to improved torque transmission and pushability, as each section can flex independently.

Jigsaw Cut Hypotubes & Puzzle Cut Hypotubes

Over the years, various intricate patterns have emerged for flexible tubes, with one standout design being the jigsaw cut, also known as the puzzle cut. In this method, different sections of the tube are entirely separate, connected by two D-shaped socket and ball joints, providing inherent flexibility. Similar to straight lines, movement can be restricted to a single plane. The jigsaw cut offers exceptional flexibility, torque, and pushability, ideally suited for thick wall sections to prevent dislocation. It can also be machined in thinner walls if care is taken.

There are a number of variations in the jigsaw, with some designs using straight edges rather than round. However, they all rely on the same principle and require laser cutting to achieve the highest quality.

Riveting Hypotubes

Riveting hypotubes, akin to jigsaw-cut hypotubes, feature distinct sections completely separated, initially cut using a five-axis laser machine. However, riveting hypotubes are manually connected using rivets, with each joint section punched, typically in a D-shape. While laser-cut hypotubes are often disposable, riveting hypotubes offer reusability, albeit at a higher cost.

Bespoke Cut Hypotubes

At Manners Technology, we specialize in bespoke cut hypotubes to meet the specific needs of our customers. Our hypotube design services allow for complete customization of materials, dimensions, and patterns to ensure that each product perfectly matches your requirements. We prioritize confidentiality by actively signing non-disclosure agreements with our customers to protect all unique designs and patterns. With our commitment to quality and customization, we deliver solutions that truly meet your expectations.

Hypotube Sizes and Specifications

Laser cut hypotubes come in a range of sizes and specifications to meet varying medical needs. Hypotube gauge charts help manufacturers select the right dimensions for specific applications. Manners Technology offers hypotube sizes from 0.3mm to 20mm in diameter, with wall thickness ranging from 0.06mm to 2mm.

Hypotube Outer Diameters for Various Applications

Applications of Hypotubes

• Laryngoscopes are used for visualizing the larynx.

• Bronchoscopes assist in examining the airways and lungs.

• Gastroscopes enable inspection of the gastrointestinal tract.

• Ureterorenoscopes are designed for examining the ureter and kidney.

• Arthroscopes are utilized in joint surgeries.

• Percutaneous Nephroscopes provide access to the kidneys for various procedures.

• Biliary Endoscopes are used for viewing bile ducts.

• Colonoscopy is essential for colorectal examinations.

• Cystoscopes are employed to inspect the bladder.

Medical Hypotube Materials

Manners Technology specializes in manufacturing custom hypotubes to meet a variety of needs. Our hypotubes are available in a variety of materials including 304, 316, 17-7PH, MP35N, L605, and Ni-Ti (nickel titanium alloy) with hardnesses ranging from 20 to 50 HRC. Hardness varies with material and processing techniques. These materials offer biocompatibility, strength, and corrosion resistance.

Laser Cut Hypotube Capabilities

Hypotubes are precision machined using advanced five-axis laser technology. The thin-walled tube is meticulously cut according to a preset computer program, cutting a long, intermittent spiral into the tube wall. Hypotubes cut on a 5-axis laser cutting machine have higher precision, finer slots and better edge quality, with slot widths ranging from 15um to 30um and a tolerance of 0.01mm, efficiently meeting various requirements.

• Kerf width: From 15um to 30um·

• Accuracy: Tolerances as small as +/-0.01mm

Manners uses either a medium-powered fiber laser or an ultra-fast femtosecond laser to cut hypotubes. The fiber laser is great for cutting thicker materials quickly, while the femtosecond laser is better for very thin or delicate parts.

The femtosecond laser quickly puts energy into the material, which prevents heat from spreading and keeps heat-affected areas small when the material turns to vapor. This process creates smooth edges, often making extra finishing work unnecessary, like electropolishing.

Our 5-axis laser cutting machines can be set up for both manual and automated operations and can use either type of laser or both. They can be fitted with feeder and unloader modules for full automation. The machines can load tubes as small as 0.3 mm in diameter, like thrombectomy catheters, and can also handle tubes from 1 mm to 20 mm in diameter and up to 3 m long for hands-free production.

How to Make Thin Hypotubes

Thin wall tubing, typically ranging from 0.001 inches (0.0254 mm) to about 0.065 inches (1.65 mm). To make thin hypotubes, a precise manufacturing process is followed to ensure the tubing is both strong and flexible.

• Material Selection: The process starts by choosing high-quality stainless steel, which is commonly used for thin-walled tubing due to its strength and corrosion resistance.

• Tube Formation: The material, initially a solid billet, is heated and passed through a piercing mill to create a hollow form. This step transforms the billet into a circular tube.

• Drawing Process: The tube is then drawn through multiple dies. Each die reduces the diameter and wall thickness, making the tube thinner with each pass. This step is repeated until the desired thinness is achieved.

• Lubrication: Throughout the drawing process, either soap or oil is used as a lubricant to ensure smooth movement and prevent the tube from sticking during the shaping process.

• Annealing: After each drawing pass, the tube is annealed in vacuum furnaces. This step restores the material's elasticity, making the tube more flexible and reducing internal stresses.

• Surface Treatment: Special washing machines are used to clean the tube, ensuring a smooth and polished surface free from contaminants or defects.

Why Choose Manners Technology as Your Hypotube Manufacturer?

Manners Technology is a top hypotube manufacturer committed to quality and cost-effectiveness. We enhance our manufacturing process with custom machine pathing, ensuring efficient production of high-quality products.

Our design engineers work closely with customers to create tailored solutions, following Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles for repeatable, high-quality manufacturing. Our ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certifications demonstrate our adherence to industry standards.

We are proud of our strong customer relationships, including our work with Olympus, for whom we have manufactured curved sections of their endoscopes. Our expertise in the design and manufacture of complex components makes us a trusted partner in the medical device industry.

With quick turnaround times—7 business days for samples and 15 business days for large orders—Manners Technology is your ideal hypotube supplier, blending speed and quality seamlessly.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Hypotubes

1. What is a hypotube?
A hypotube is a small, flexible, hollow tube, primarily used in medical devices such as catheters and endoscopes. It is designed to be maneuverable, providing kink resistance and torque.

2. How are hypotubes made?
Hypotubes are made using advanced laser cutting techniques, which transform rigid tubes into flexible components by creating intricate patterns on the tube walls.

3. What are hypotubes used for?
Hypotubes are used in medical devices for procedures like flexible cystoscopy, endoscopy, and catheter-based interventions. They are also used in industrial and robotic applications.

4. What is the difference between catheter shafts and hypotubes?
Catheter shafts are often built using hypotubes. The hypotube provides structural support and flexibility, allowing the catheter to navigate complex anatomical pathways.

5. What sizes do hypotubes come in?
Hypotube sizes range from 0.3mm to 20mm in diameter, with varying lengths and wall thicknesses to meet specific medical and industrial applications.

6. Who are the leading hypotube manufacturers?
Manners Technology is one of the leading hypotube manufacturers, offering a wide range of customizable solutions for the medical industry.