Contacts:
Mark Borsari
Vice President, Strategy & Development
Sanderson MacLeod
413-283-3481
mborsari@sandersonmacleod.com
Janet Warren
Public Relations Consultant
Sanderson MacLeod
413-247-3075
jwarren@marcomcapital.com
Palmer, Massachusetts, USA — Sanderson MacLeod, large volume medical brush manufacturer and long time leader in twisted wire brushes, has introduced the Z-Tip; a revolutionary new protective brush tip for medical brushes.
Sanderson MacLeod has a patent pending on the invention and is manufacturing the Z-Tip for endoscopic cleaning brushes and cytology brushes. Other applications are currently being developed. According to the company, endoscopy and cytology brushes must have smooth protective tips in order to protect sensitive and expensive equipment and to ensure proper cell collection and patient safety.
“We were determined to develop a new way to manufacture protective medical brush tips, because traditional methods have significant flaws that can lead to scratching, scarring and other problems,” said Mark Borsari, Vice President Strategy & Development for Sanderson MacLeod. “In the ultra competitive healthcare market, our customers have been asking us for years to develop a better, safer, and economically priced protective brush tip. Based upon response from the market, I believe we accomplished our goal.”
One example of a popular method is the insert molded tip that is made by placing the end of a twisted wire brush into an injection mold. With these medical brushes, the tip can fall off leading to scratching and scarring. Plus, the manufacturing process is very costly because it involves manufacturing a mold for each type and size of brush. Another example is the light cured acrylic tip, which is made by dipping the end of a twisted wire brush into plastic or acrylic and using ultraviolet light to cure the substance into a tip. This method can result in a rough surface, or worse, expose the core wire through the tip. This process also involves hazardous fumes, extended curing times and is petroleum-based.
In setting out to find a better way to solve these problems, Sanderson MacLeod searched beyond the brush industry and found the answer in material joining engineering. As a result of many rounds of research, trials and testing; the company devised a new manufacturing process using high energy fusion welding technologies. As a result, the company is able to melt a pre-constructed core wire section of a twisted wire brush or stylet into a consistent, smooth and inseparable protective tip – the Z-Tip.
“The Z-Tip is smoother, stronger and safer than any other protective brush tip available,” said Borsari. Z-Tip advantages include:
§ It has a mirror-like surface and therefore won’t scratch or scar.
§ It is made of one-piece construction, which means that the tip cannot fall off, the wire cannot protrude through the tip, and the entire brush is stronger and will not unravel.
§ It is manufactured in a fully automated inline process that makes the product economical to the buyer and ensures uniformity for every brush.
§ Because the Z-Tip brush is one metallurgic unit, there are no biocompatibility issues and no need to get separate FDA approval for the tip.
§ The manufacturing process is not petroleum-based.
Sanderson MacLeod is the only brush manufacturer that specializes solely in twisted wire brushes, and for more than 50 years, has been the source of twisted wire brushes for some of the largest companies in the world. The company has a long history of innovation, including the distinction of inventing the first twisted wire mascara brush. Sanderson MacLeod employs approximately 100 people in a state-of-the-art, 137,000 square foot facility in Palmer, Massachusetts and utilizes a modern, FDA compliant Quality Control Laboratory to ensure product quality.
More information about the Z-Tip medical brush tip can be found at www.ZTipBrush.com.
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