Innovation in Single-Use Medical Device Development in Response to Customer Needs
Innovation in Single-Use Medical Device Development in Response to Customer Needs
Custom design in action. Puritan and Quidel Corporation Partner to Create Custom Diagnostic Testing Swab. Quidel Corporation, a company that develops, manufactures, and markets rapid diagnostic tests, came to Puritan after they had designed a specialized cassette to hold swabs for testing for strep infections. The unique shape and size of these cassettes meant Quidel could not use the traditional swabs available on the market. Puritan’s engineering staff designed a swab to the exacting requirements dictated by the cassette’s size. The resulting laboratory swab has a unique head that fits into the cassette, while the shape and material of the swab enable a very accurate sample capture to assist in test-reading reliability.
In addition to the custom design, Puritan modified production processes to manufacture and QC the Quidel swab. Special scanning and electronic reading devices were installed on the production line to ensure that each swab met the strict size, configuration, and adhesive bonding requirements. As a result of this partnership, Quidel now has the custom swabs they need. In addition, other Puritan customers also benefit. Today all Puritan production lines are being fitted with these same detection devices — one more step in the stringent quality control that helps make Puritan the brand of choice in single-use products.
The Puritan product line is constantly changing and growing. Over the past few years, we’ve developed many exciting new products in response to the needs of our customers. Here are just a few examples:
- Puritan knitted polyester-tipped applicators, made for use in clean rooms and completely free from volatile residues, particulates, and lint
- Puritan Popule® swabs, such as the X-PressPrep™ and other liquid-filled, self-saturating swabs
- Puritan Cap-Shure®, ideal for specimen collection
- Puritan DM-StickTM, a wound-measuring device designed specifically to measure pressure ulcers
