We need to bond a silicone insulator between two gold-plated electrodes. All materials need to be medically approved for nonimplantable use. Can you recommend options to explore?
I would recommend a silicone adhesive to bond the silicone insulator to the gold-plated electrodes. Two possible candidates are Dow Corning’s medical adhesive Type A (an acetoxy cure system) and NuSil’s Med1-4213 (a two-part platinum cure system). Both materials are themselves insulators.
It’s been a number of years since I’ve worked with silicone, so forgive my ignorance. Are there any major providers of systems—i.e., Stratasys, etc.—that manufacture rapid prototyping systems, other then subtractive, that are capable of producing/curing m
Statasys and other companies, I believe, do offer rubber or “siliconelike” materials called TangoPlus, Tangogray, and TangoBlack. The resolution and accuracy available are generally good enough to help validate a design, but they are not a replacement for an actual silicone part. As far as why they have not made a rapid prototyping system for silicone, I am not entirely sure. I am guessing that it is due to the peanut butter consistency of silicone in its uncured state. I am sure that it would be very difficult to lay down a thin enough layer to accurately create a part, not to mention then having to heat it up to cure it.
I am currently working on a medical device in which a needle pierces through a silicone septum. I can’t use silicone oil. Is there any other medical-grade lubricant that can be used to aid the needle through the silicone?
I am not aware of any other medical-grade lubricant. One additive we sometimes use in applications is Zonyl. Teflon can also be loaded into the silicone prior to molding (~15% by weight). This creates some added lubricity throughout the part.
Is there a good way to surface treat silicone in order to make the surface more dirt resistant so that it will not pick up fibers and other debris easily?
A mat finish versus a polished/shiny finish will pick up slightly less FM or “dirt.” There are also surface treatments such as a parylene coating that create a lubricity on the surface and coat the silicone part. The use of ionizing fans to reduce static when handling the part will also reduce FM instances.
