Junkosha introduced a new catheter liner category, which it calls Wrapped Liner, at MD&M Midwest in Minneapolis. The company describes the platform as a different approach to liner construction, built on its long-standing work in fluoropolymer technologies rather than as an incremental change to existing tubing.
According to Junkosha, the category applies proprietary PTFE tape engineering and wrapping technology to offer an alternative liner platform that combines high tensile strength, thin wall construction and flexibility.
Wrapping film instead of extruding a tube
In the company's description, the manufacturing route wraps PTFE film around a mandrel to form the liner wall, rather than extruding a complete tube. Engineering the properties of the tape is central to the concept: Junkosha says it can design a liner platform aimed at a thin, uniform wall thickness with a level of strength that would otherwise be difficult to pair with such a wall.
That combination is presented as a question of design space rather than a single specification. A thinner, stronger and more uniform liner could allow catheter engineers to specify finer braid or coil wire, or to reallocate space elsewhere in the catheter construction.
The trade-off between profile and performance
Steve Maxson, founder of Maxson InSight Services, framed the issue around the industry shorthand that "profile is king." In his view, low-profile design involves more than reducing wall thickness: the catheter still has to resist kinking and ovalization while retaining the flexibility its application requires. Maxson noted that extruded and film-cast liners are already available in very thin walls, and argued that the more meaningful opportunity lies in how thin-wall construction and strength work together to change the way engineers approach catheter design.
Junkosha makes a related point about reinforcement. The balance of thin, strong and more uniform properties is described as the linchpin of new catheter development, potentially giving designers greater flexibility in how reinforcement is configured.
A platform intended to scale
Kevin LaDow, chief sales officer of Junkosha USA Inc., set out the current landscape: catheter liners are typically either dip-coated PTFE built up on a mandrel or extruded PTFE supplied as tubing cut to length. Looking toward 2027, he said there is a need for a liner category that is not only manufactured differently but also offers distinct benefits for small-format catheter OEMs.
Junkosha positions Wrapped Liner as a scalable platform intended to support a growing portfolio of solutions tailored to evolving catheter requirements. The company says the approach extends the possibilities of catheter design in support of next-generation devices aimed at greater flexibility and a broader range of anatomies that may be accessed and treated.
Junkosha did not disclose specific wall dimensions, material grades or release timelines for the category in its announcement.