ASG and Sebra Show Off First Fully Automated Catheter Tipping System

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A new system by ASG Medical and Sebra is being touted as the first fully automated product of its kind.

As we mentioned on Friday, many companies wisely plan product launches to coincide with MD&M West in order to generate buzz and to get the technology in front of potential customers. Taking this approach, Sebra (Tucson, AZ) and ASG Medical Systems (West Palm Beach, FL) unveiled their automated tipping system (ATS) at the show last week, which they claim is the first fully automated device of its kind."The automation that ATS provides, such as the loading of catheters and cutting and loading of the separate soft tips into the tipping process, have always been separate, manual processes," says Dan Woodward, general partner and director or technology at ASG. Such automated capabilities, the companies note, translate into cost savings by reducing labor costs and performing multiple processes per part.Combining ASG's competencies in automated catheter, guidewire, and tube fabrication equipment with Sebra's skill set in radiofrequency (RF) catheter manufacturing systems yielded the ATS. More specifically, the ATS draws from Sebra's Saffire RF tipping technology and ASG's Accu-Cut tube cutting and Accu-Feed tube feeding-technologies to provide a fully automated catheter-tipping process. Capabilities of the system include necking and flaring; singulation; assembly; precision cuts to length; and thermal bonding of two catheter materials for soft-tip applications.In addition to being intuitive and user friendly, the system produces clean, square cuts and precise lengths, according to the manufacturers. It also features a high-resolution touch screen interface and does not require operator data entry.