19 Oct As the Endoscopy Market Grows, Biomedical Textiles Prove to be an Excellent Replacement for Metal Components

Endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopies and Upper GI endoscopies provide clinicians and surgeons with access to examine organs or cavities within the body non-surgically or through a small incision (such as laparoscopic surgery and Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS)).  The North American endoscopy market is forecasted to reach $21.6 billion by 2026, up from $15.12 billion in 2021. This growth is driven largely by an increasing number of gastrointestinal tract disorders and rising awareness of endoscopy devices that allow for much smaller incisions than open surgery.

Endoscopic devices enable the surgeon to see inside the body with a video camera attached to a flexible, low-profile tube inserted through a small incision. The surgeon is then able to use tiny surgical instruments while seeing the organs on a computer monitor in real-time. For instance, esophageal varices or internal hemorrhoids may be endoscopically ligated. Endoscopic procedures result in less scarring, quicker recoveries, and less risk of complications from infection or blood loss.

Biomedical textiles are proving to be an excellent replacement for wire and metal components in many endoscopic devices, such as for the flexible cable that goes inside the tube to deploy or steer a catheter during teleoperated endoscopic treatment. Textiles have much more compliant properties than metals in terms of torque, flexibility and strength. Incorporating textiles provides medical device OEMs maximum flexibility for the design of their endoscopy innovations.

Textiles can conform to anatomical curves and bends. They also have a lower coefficient of friction, enabling smoother glide and more degrees of freedom and orientation. This is particularly important given the nature of endoscopic procedures. Textiles are smaller, thinner, and stronger than traditional metal, while also being MRI-safe. Braided textiles can bear significant weight and have customizable dimensional measurements. A cylindrical shape, for example, can make them well-suited to wind through complex areas such as the digestive track, or to conform to twists and turns. They may also be incorporated into surgical robotics systems and used to deploy and steer an endoscopic catheter.

Cortland Biomedical has deep engineering expertise in creating unique and effective geometries with textiles. We strive to strike the right balance of size and strength, enabled by extensive physical and mechanical testing capabilities. We can customize the characteristics of different zones of a single braid, enabling a high degree of flexibility at the distal end of a braid while being stable in the middle for maximum load bearing.  Learn more about our braiding solutions and products.