Bonding Medical Connecting Elements and Catheters

Catheters and connection elements, such as infusion lines or tubes are usually made from plastics and are bonded. UV- and LED-curing acrylic-based adhesives are especially suitable for this purpose due to their short curing times, which speed up production and hence reduce production costs. Instant adhesives are used successfully for hard-to-bond substrates.

Typical applications are:

  • Bonding fluid lines, containers and pumps for, for example:
    • Bonding infusion lines to tap bars
    ​​​​​​​• Bonding tube- filter unions
    ​​​​​​​• Bonding complete sets:
         > Infusion sets
         > Blood and medicine sacs
         > Bonding tube-connector and tube-adapter connections to complete sets and systems
     
  • Catheter bonds
    ​​​​​​​• Bonding pipes and tubes of various diameters into shafts for catheter production
    ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​• Bonding latex balloons onto (also multi-lumen) tubes for angioplasty

Because the adhesives can come into contact with the liquids at the bonded joints, the adhesives used must, in addition to being health-compatible and organically safe, be resistant to liquids and common sterilization methods. Adhesives used in flexible tubes systems must, furthermore, have the required flexibility and strength. Because of the tight fits of tubes and connectors, capillary-action adhesive systems are especially well suited for this application. 

medical valve with tube glued with fluorescent adhesive from Panacol

Biocompatible adhesives are used for bonding plastic tube sets and catheters.

The table below lists a selection of adhesives from Panacol that are suitable for bonding connecting elements. Further products and custom solutions are available on request. 

To download the technical datasheets (TDS) please click on the adhesive name.

Medical grade adhesive Viscosity [mPas] Base Curing* Properties/ Specification Substrates
Vitralit® 1702 10-100 acrylate UV Transparent
capillary flow
biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI standards
Bonding PC, hard-PVC, ABS, SAN
Vitralit® 1703 85,000-130,000 (LVT, 25 °C, Sp. 4/3 rpm) acrylate UV Shear thinning
Shape retaining
Certified according to USP Class VI
Resistant to sterilization
Bonding PC, ABS, SAN, hard-PVC
Vitralit® 4731 900-1,500 (LVT, 25°C, Sp. 3/30 rpm) acrylate UV
VIS
Dry surface after curing,
biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI and ISO 10993-5 standards
Bonding PC /Makrolon, hard-PVC, PET, ABS, SAN, PMMA (Plexiglas®, acrylic glass)
Bonding glass, steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass
Vitralit® 5140 250-500 acrylate UV
VIS
Flexible,
well suited for bonding plastics with low UV translucence and permeable to visible light,
biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI standards
Bonding ABS, PMMA (Plexiglas®, acrylic glass), hard-PVC, PET, SAN, PC 
Joining glass and plastics
Joining metals to plastics
Joining plastics with various substrates
Vitralit® 7041 50-90 (LVT 25°C, Sp. 2/60 rpm) acrylate UV
VIS
Excellent adhesion to glass, plastics and metals;
biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI standards
Bonding PMMA, PC, hard-PVC, PET-A, PET-G, PUR, PS, ABS, Glass, steel, stainless steel 
Vitralit® 7041 F 50-90 acrylate UV
VIS
Fluorescing,
excellent adhesion to glass, plastics and metals;
biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI and ISO 10993/-4/-5 standards
Bonding PMMA, PC, hard-PVC, PET-A, PET-G, PUR, PS, ABS, glass, stainless steel, steel
Vitralit® 7041 T 1,500-2,300 acrylate UV
VIS
High viscosity/stable,
excellent adhesion to glass, plastics and metals;
biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI and ISO 10993/-4/-5 standards
Bonding PMMA, PC, hard-PVC, PET-G, PUR, PS, ABS, Glass, steel, stainless steel, PET-A
Vitralit® 7090 VHS 40-100 acrylate UV
VIS
Dry surface,
very high adhesion to plastics,
biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI standards
Bonding PC (Makrolon), hard-PVC, ABS, SAN
Vitralit® 7311 FO 40-70 (Newtonian liquid, Rheometer, 25 °C) acrylate UV
VIS
Fluorescing orange
Capillary flowing
Resistant to moisture and alcohol
Biocompatible, certified according to USP Class VI and ISO 10993-5/10
Resistant to sterilization
Very good adhesion to PC, PVC, PMMA, ABS,
glass, metal and aluminium
Vitralit® 7311 FO T 1,000-3,000 (Rheometer, 25 °C, 10s­^-1) acrylate UV
VIS
Fluorescing orange
High resistance to alcohols and moisture
non-yellowing
very high adhesion to plastics, glass and metals
suitable for bonding large areas
certified according to USP Class VI
Bonding PC (polycarbonate),
PVC, PMMA, ABS, glass and metals
Vitralit® 7311 FO Gel 18,000-35,000 (Rheometer, 25 °C, 10s^-­1) acrylate UV
VIS
Fluorescing orange, shape retaining
Resistant to humidity and alcohol
Certified according to USP Class VI
Resistant to sterilization
Excellent adhesion to PC, PVC, PMMA, ABS
as well as glass, aluminium and metal
Vitralit® 7989 3,000-5,000 acrylate UV Excellent adhesion to plastics, especially to PC and PMMA;
biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI standards
Bonding hard-PVC, ABS, SAN, PUR, PC
Vitralit® UV 7030 15,000-25,000 (Rheometer, 25 °C, 10s^-1) acrylate UV
VIS
Flexible, high elongation at break,
very high shear strength,
certified according to USP Class VI
Bonding plastics with low surface energy
(PEEK, PEN, TPE, TPU)
Cyanolit® 203 TX shear thinning cyanoacrylate moisture,
room temperature
Biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI standards Ideal for bonding PA, PC, ABS, PVC, EPDM
Cyanolit® 241 F 30-50 cyanoacrylate moisture,
room temperature
Capillary flow,
biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI standards
Ideal for bonding PVC, ABS, PA, PC, PMMA, aluminium, steel, copper
Cyanolit® 732 F 230-350 (LVT, 25 °C, Sp. 2/60 rpm) cyanoacrylate moisture,
room temperature
Film forming,
suitable for bonding porous materials,
biocompatible: certified to USP Class VI standards
Ideal for bonding PVC, PMMA, ABS, PA, PC, EPDM, stainless steel

*UV = 320 - 390 nm          VIS = 405 nm