A thrombus, informally called a blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. There are two components to a thrombus: aggregated platelets and red blood cells that form a plug, and a mesh of cross-linked fibrin protein. Thrombus is a healthy response to injury intended to prevent bleeding, but can be extremely harmful in thrombosis, when clots obstruct blood flow through healthy blood vessels.¹ When a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot (blood or fatty deposits) or bursts (or ruptures) a stroke can occur. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it and brain cells die.

Stroke can be caused either by a clot obstructing the flow of blood to the brain (called an ischemic stroke) or by a blood vessel rupturing and preventing blood flow to the brain (called a hemorrhagic stroke). A TIA (transient ischemic attack), or “mini stroke”, is caused by a temporary clot.² Clots can also block coronary arteries that may lead to a heart attack or even death.  Clots can also cause loss of appendages as it cuts off the blood flow to the main artery to the specific limb. Without immediate medical attention, the limb could die. It almost always requires either a very precise surgery to remove or break up the clot, or more seriously the limb may need amputation.

The growing industry of stroke (and clot removal) medical devices is reaching up to $30 billion dollars this year and expected to witness 6.3% CAGR from 2020 to 2026.³ Why is the market growth important to your company? The growing demand for stroke and clot removal devices with hydrophilic coatings is happening at an exponential rate, which means your devices, such as balloon occlusion catheters, microcatheters, stents, guidewires, etc., are needed more than ever to help save precious lives and limbs!

Why should you choose Hydromer® Coatings and Services?

Hydromer® Hydrophilic Coatings for Medical Devices are highly lubricious coatings that allow your devices to go further than ever before to perform procedures that seemed unattainable and have features that are widely needed in the stroke and blood clot device market. We offer a variety of tested and verified thromboresistant hydrophilic coatings. Our thrombus reduction coatings are greatly lubricious, while maintaining the flow of blood which reduces clotting on

your medical devices in vitro of a patient.  We also have highly lubricious, bio-compatible coatings that interact with tissues allowing a device to attach to tissue more naturally. This more offers a much lower rejection rate of your device as opposed to not having a bio-compatible coating.

We are trusted over 40 years as the experts in coating hard to coat substrates, geometries, intricate, inner, and outer diameters of medical devices. Reach out us now to learn how we can help aid in your device’s performance with our Hydromer® Hydrophilic Coatings for Medical Devices.

Citations

1. “Thrombus.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrombus.

2. “About Stroke.”

3. “Stroke Management Market Size Forecasts 2026: Statistics Report.” Global Market Insights, Inc.,