Zirkonia-Keramik hüllen Zirkonia-Spritzguss-Teile für medizinische Katheter hüllen

Zirconia ceramic sheath caps are the end caps or key components of sheaths made of zirconia ceramic in minimally invasive surgical instruments or precision industrial equipment.

What is a sheath cap/head?

In many precision applications, a sheath is a protective outer sleeve that encloses the core moving parts. Examples include:

• Medical: surgical robot wrists, endoscope bends, and catheter heads.
• Industrial: protective covers for precision measurement probes and movable joints in automated equipment.

The sheath cap is the cap or head at the end of the sheath. It is typically the part of the device that comes into direct contact with the external environment or the target, experiences the most frequent movement, and places the highest demands on the device.

When zirconia ceramic is used in this critical component, it is designed to address a range of demanding application challenges. Its advantages include:
1. Extreme Wear Resistance and Ultra-Long Life (Core Advantage)

• Function: Zirconia ceramic has an extremely high hardness (HV > 1200) and wear resistance dozens of times greater than that of metal. During high-speed, high-frequency relative motion (such as rotation and extension), it effectively resists wear, preventing wear-generated particles from polluting the environment, significantly extending the life of the device, and reducing maintenance costs.
• Applications: Surgical robot wrists that repeatedly twist within the body; movable joints in precision equipment.

2. Low Coefficient of Friction & Self-Lubrication

• Function: Zirconia ceramic has a smooth surface that can achieve a mirror-like finish after polishing, and has a low coefficient of friction. This ensures smooth and flexible movement of core internal components (such as drive wires, optical fibers, and sensors), reducing motion resistance and energy loss, and improving control accuracy and response speed.

3. High Rigidity (High Modulus) and Dimensional Stability

• Benefit: Zirconia ceramics have a high Young's modulus, meaning they deform minimally when subjected to force. This is crucial for maintaining the geometric precision and positioning accuracy of precision instruments, preventing performance degradation or operational errors caused by component deformation.

4. Excellent Biocompatibility and Chemical Inertness

• Benefit: In medical applications, zirconia is a recognized biosafe material. It is non-toxic, non-allergenic, and resistant to body fluids, fully meeting the stringent requirements of implants and Class III medical devices. In industrial applications, it is resistant to acids, alkalis, and solvents, making it suitable for harsh chemical environments.

5. Electrical Insulation

• Benefit: It can be used in applications requiring electrical insulation, such as preventing short circuits in precision electronic equipment or ensuring that energy is released only from specific electrodes in electrosurgical instruments.

6. Non-magnetic: 

• Benefit: Zirconia ceramic components do not interfere with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) environments and are not attracted by strong magnetic fields, making them an irreplaceable advantage in MRI-compatible surgical robots or instruments.

Zirconia ceramic sheath caps are primarily used in the following high-end applications:
1. Medical Robotics (Core Application):

• Surgical Robot Wrists: This is the most typical and advanced application. The wrists of high-end systems such as the da Vinci surgical robot consist of multiple articulating joints. Zirconia ceramic sheath caps and joint rings provide unparalleled wear resistance, low friction, and precision, ensuring the wrist remains flexible and precise even after tens of thousands of movements.

2. High-End Endoscopes/Catheters:

• Joint caps used in the curved section of endoscopes protect the internal steel cables and mechanisms.
• As components of catheter tips, they reduce damage caused by friction with blood vessels or tissue.

3. Precision Industrial Equipment:

• Semiconductor Manufacturing: Used in moving parts in high-cleanliness environments such as wafer handling robots and photolithography machines to prevent particle contamination from metal wear.
• Precision Measurement: Protective covers for probes on coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) or optical measurement equipment to ensure repeatable and accurate measurements.
• High-Reliability Automation: Used in precision transmissions and joints requiring long life and maintenance-free operation.

Hunan Guoci Ceramics, with strong material R&D capabilities and advanced production processes, can customize zirconia ceramic sheath covers for various minimally invasive surgical instruments or precision industrial equipment to meet customer requirements. These sheath covers feature high mechanical strength, excellent wear resistance, low thermal conductivity, and exceptional biocompatibility.

If you are looking for a reliable industrial ceramics manufacturer, please contact us for custom technical ceramic solutions.

Email: Marketing@guociceramic.com