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HEBU Medical, a German-based manufacturer of highend surgical equipment, unveiled its Neuroline™ line of surgical curettes late last year, the first of its kind employing a titanium shaft connected to Radel® R polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) handles over-molded with silicone rubber. The result is one of the lightest, most ergonomically comfortable curettes available for use in surgical applications. It also represents an extensive and highly successful collaboration between HEBU, its molding partner Minnesota Rubber & Plastics and material supplier Solvay Advanced Polymers.

The instrument is on average 40 grams lighter than conventional all-metal curettes thanks to the unique trio of materials employed. These materials also make the instrument non-magnetic, ideal for applications which require magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems during a procedure. Moreover the unique angled design, along with a silicone overmolded

handle made of Radel® R PPSU ensures maximum comfort along with the ability to withstand the demanding sterilization environments associated with surgical equipment.

"We have invested considerably in designing our own autoclave to reproduce repeated, continuous steam sterilization cycles," commented Thomas Butsch, President of HEBU Medical. "We were amazed at Radel® R's ability to withstand cycle after cycle without any appreciable degradation in performance properties. After 500-plus cycles, we were convinced."

In designing the new line, HEBU Medical tapped Minnesota Rubber to select the materials that could best work to meet the surgical line's ambitious design parameters in weight reduction and performance. A global leader in manufacturing plastic assemblies and components across many industries, Minnesota Rubber is a longtime partner of Solvay Advanced Polymers. That history helped deliver on HEBU's revolutionary design.

"The weight specs for this surgical instrument necessitated a grip core made of plastic but with all the performance of a traditional metal," explained Aron Yngve, market development director for Minnesota Rubber. "Your non-metal options narrow severely under these requirements. Because we have successfully used Radel® R in the past, we knew it could withstand autoclaving temperatures and chemicals used in more intense sterilization processes."