Hydromer’s Beginnings
In 1974, Manfred F. Dyck noticed the discomfort of hospital patients who relied on feeding tubes because they were too wide and painful to use. This inspired him to develop the first polyurethane enteral feeding tubes that were thin enough to bend easily without puncturing organs or tissues. He would then go on to formulate one of the first hydrophilic coatings for medical devices that, when placed on the feeding tubes, this “slippery when wet” performance characteristic allowed for easier and less painful navigation through the human body. This innovation set the groundwork for what would become Hydromer®.
In 1981 after establishing its facility in Branchburg, NJ, Hydromer would find early success with a safety coating applied to men’s razors by the Wilkinson Sword company. For the next four decades, the company would go on to create more than 90 proprietary formulas and secure over 400 patents, including anti-microbial, anti-fog, anti-frost, condensation-controlling, and thromboresistant coatings for the medical, industrial, and personal care markets.
In the early 2000s, Hydromer entered the animal health market when it introduced environmentally safer methods to prevent mastitis and a foot bath to prevent and treat hoof-borne illnesses. More recently, as industries began seeking greener more sustainable formulas, Hydromer had already been ahead of the curve, by offering greener, more natural products to the more harsh chemicals that were banned by the FDA or deemed environmentally questionable (parabens, triclosan, etc.). CarvaTec and CarvaCranTec are just two examples of Hydromer products reflecting the company’s current commitment to sustainability.
