July 22, 2004 -- Seattle, Wash., USA -- ( Jobwerx News ) -- HIGHLIGHTS: GE'S NEW LSR TOP COAT DRIVES USE OF LIQUID INJECTION-MOLDED SILICONE ELASTOMERS IN HEALTHCARE

To meet healthcare industry needs for improved performance and cleanliness of medical devices, GE Advanced Materials (GEAM), a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), introduced a new top coat for liquid injection-molded silicone elastomers recently at the Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) Expo East. Called LSR Top Coat, the product significantly lowers the coefficient of friction (COF) on the surface of molded parts such as catheters, prosthetics, and valves for higher performance, reduced sticking and re-healing, and greater wear resistance. These properties open up new healthcare applications for liquid injection-molded silicone elastomers and offer the industry the opportunity to use these highly versatile materials in a wider range of devices.

GE Advanced Materials' LSR Top Coat addresses two of the main challenges that previously limited the use of liquid injection-molded silicone elastomers in healthcare applications. By lowering the COF by up to 56 percent vs. uncoated silicone elastomers, LSR Top Coat can dramatically reduce undesirable friction such as high insertion forces in catheters, sticking of external dental molds, and re-healing of mechanical diaphragms and seals. Further, the reduced COF helps prevent adhesion of dust particles to the surface of the silicone elastomers for a higher level of cleanliness, a critical concern in the healthcare environment.

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