SLIC™ Friction Reduction Coating
BDC Laboratories’ proprietary SLIC™ Friction Reduction Coating is engineered to provide a clinically relevant surface friction profile for silicone anatomical models. The SLIC™ coating offers a unique combination of friction reduction coupled with strong adhesion to native silicone and superior resistance to abrasion and erosion.
Silicone is commonly used in the fabrication of vascular models, including both complex anatomical geometries and simplified arterial or venous pathways, due to its transparency, long-term durability, and dimensional stability. However, the inherent tackiness of cured silicone can hinder realistic device tracking, often resulting in friction-related challenges during guidewire, catheter, or delivery system evaluation (i.e., the “stick-slip-stick” response).
Applied through a precision-controlled process, the SLIC™ coating forms an ultra-thin, gap-free, and conformal layer across all exposed luminal surfaces, delivering a consistent and ultra-low-friction environment to support more accurate and repeatable device simulations.
Key System Features
Clinical Relevance
Enhances realism in physician training for heart valves, stents, stent grafts, and other endovascular devices.
Device Protection
Reduces advancement and retraction forces to protect devices and eliminate stick-slip behavior.
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Echogenic Treatment
BDC Laboratories’ echogenic treatment alters the properties of silicone vessels to more accurately replicate how real anatomical structures appear under clinical ultrasound imaging.
Calcification
BDC Laboratories can integrate custom calcified lesions into any location with vascular or anatomical models, including coronary arteries and aortic valves.
Fluid Handling Systems
BDC Labs’ fluid handling systems deliver precise, repeatable flow conditions to support the evaluation, testing, and demonstration of cardiovascular devices and their delivery systems.
Simulated Use Systems
BDC Labs’ simulation solutions mimic the pressure, flow, and temperature of the human cardiovascular system to enable device testing, design verification, training, and demonstration.
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