TiLENE® Strip

TiLENE® Strip is used to prevent incisional hernia, to strengthen soft tissue and is secured to the transverse fascia for soft tissue reinforcement after laparotomy.

Titanisation

Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is a process for the metallisation of complex components, while at the same time achieving well-adherent bonds. However, as this process involves temperatures in excess of 150 °C, it is not an option for many prosthetic materials which would not be shape-retentive at such temperatures (e.g. polypropylene).

For that reason, the titanisation of plastic implants takes place at low temperatures using a special plasma-coating process known as PACVD (plasma-activated chemical vapour deposition).

Plasma is the term used for an excited (ionised) gas. In that state, the atoms/molecules are highly energetic.  Nevertheless, plasma is not hot. In everyday life, we are familiar with plasma in fluorescent tubes. The electrically charged gas components emit light as the result of their highly energetic state, but the fluorescent tube remains cold.

In the titanisation process, gaseous titanium is introduced into the coating chamber as a precursor.  By adding energy in form of plasma, the precursor is split into individual ionised atoms. At their surface, these ionised titanium atoms have free electrons.

In addition to the precursor, the plasma also excites the surfaces of the plastic implants, with the result that their surfaces also show free electrons. The ionised titanium atoms come into contact with the ionised surface of the implant, resulting in the respective free electrons forming covalent bonds. Covalent bonds are seen as the strongest of chemical bonds; the titanium is thus almost indissolubly bonded to the plastic.

This process creates a composite material, whose surface is coated with an ultra-thin, approx. 30 – 50 nm (1 nanometre = 1 millionth of a millimetre), highly biocompatible layer of titanium.  The coating is so thin as to be transparent, but also highly flexible.

Because the titanium cursor is introduced in gaseous form, it reaches all parts of the plastic implant. As the result, the entire surface, including gaps in between complex shapes, is completely and evenly titanised.