Medical Design Briefs - August 2023 - 12

Surface Modification
Untreated synthetic polymers are extremely hydrophobic, providing inadequate binding sites for cells to anchor effectively to their surfaces. Plasma treatments are used to
solve problems with well plates that are difficult to be resolved in other ways. Watch the video to see the process. (Credit: PVA TePla)
serum, urine, or reagent required for testing, and lower the
risk of overflow or cross-well contamination.
Creating Custom Coatings
When problems occur with uncoated or off-the-shelf well
plates that inhibit research or production, researchers or manufacturers
often utilize contract services from a provider like
PVA TePla; they are skilled in applying these types of functional
coatings, which can speed the time to market and eliminate the
need to invest in equipment and expertise in-house.
Working with an experienced contract services provider also
has tremendous advantages when tapping into years of technical
expertise. In many cases, solutions have been developed
to address similar challenges. This experience can speed development
efforts significantly. Custom providers are also accustomed
to working under strict NDAs since customers often
do not want to disclose more information about their specific
research than necessary.
Some contract services providers provide access to on-site
research and development equipment and engineering expertise.
PVA TePla, for example, often invites labware manufacturers
to visit its lab in Corona, CA, to run parts and conduct
experiments on in-house equipment, with complete customer
involvement. The customer can access PhD scientists and surface,
polymer, physical, bio, organic chemists, engineers, plasma
physicists, and metallurgists there.
In addition to providing many options for functional coatings,
a skilled contract services provider can develop and doc12
ument
an optimized range of processing parameters to ensure
the optimum quality of the treated well plates.
When it is time to transition from R&D to production, working
with an experienced contract services provider also has
advantages. With a background in plasma equipment manufacturing,
a provider can offer critical insight on validation, production
methods, fixturing, hardware, and software modifications.
Examples include special hardware for batch processing,
such as a mass flow controller, a different pump configuration,
or unique chamber sizes.
A proficient contract services provider also has the equipment
and expertise to seamlessly scale up from R&D to production.
PVA TePla has multiple systems and can scale rapidly,
allowing for rapid increases in production volumes. This includes
an R&D tool for lab work and a production tool with a
larger volume chamber designed to run at higher capacities.
Frequently, moving from R&D to production will substantially
lower the price for coated well plates since the entire process
from receiving, handling, processing, testing, and repackaging
is predetermined using the largest chamber sizes to facilitate
higher volumes.
For researchers and manufacturers interested in reducing
the costs of coated well plates while improving research quality
and diagnostic test resolution, outsourcing to a qualified contract
services provider could be an optimal solution.
For more information, contact Dr. Suraiya Nafis, PVA TePla
America, at 800-527-5667 or suraiyan@pvateplaamerica.com or
visit www.pvateplaamerica.com.
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Medical Design Briefs, August 2023

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Medical Design Briefs - August 2023

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