Key Takeaways from MD&M West 2025

Last week, industry leaders, innovators, and experts gathered in Anaheim, CA for MD&M West 2025 to showcase the latest advancements in medical manufacturing. From groundbreaking materials to supply chain enhancements, this year’s event was filled with exciting developments that are set to shape the future of the industry.

In this recap, we’ll dive into three major takeaways from the show: how the Nitinol supply chain has evolved one year after the Confluent and ATI partnership, the latest advancements in polymer tubing technology, and the impact of innovative electrospun materials. Whether you attended the show or are catching up on the highlights, here’s what you need to know.

A Year of Nitinol Supply Chain Availability
The partnership between industry Nitinol melt supplier, ATI, and Confluent was announced one year ago at MD&M West 2024. This year, our experts highlighted what has changed one year into this critical partnership. Leaders from both Confluent and ATI spoke at MD&M’s Design Alley during the show to discuss the increase in material availability resulting in the fastest lead times in the industry.

During the Design Alley session, Confluent and ATI leadership highlighted the critical need for investment in the melt capacity for medical Nitinol and how only one year into a 20+ year partnership, they are seeing capacity increases on a quarterly basis. Confluent has been able to prioritize tubing production and can now offer 4-6 week lead times for production-ready qualification builds for Nitinol tubing. This means less disruption and cost for customers. Along with a significant decrease in tubing lead times, Confluent offers lead times of 10-20 weeks for Hollows, 20 weeks for wire, and 2 weeks for rapid prototyping components. 

Confluent takes being the commercial arm for ATI’s medical Nitinol very seriously and has been able to be their eyes and ears to the constant changes in demand from the medical industry allowing the experts at ATI to focus on R&D and advancements in medical Nitinol technology. Confluent is committed to providing the most reliable and secure Nitinol supply chain with the fastest lead times in the industry enabling our customers to scale from alloy to aorta. 

If you were unable to attend this exciting discussion, stay tuned for an upcoming video of the entire session available soon on our website.

Polymer Tubing Material Innovation
Filmcast polyimide tubing and composite constructions have been key components in the medical device industry for over 30 years. Due to polyimide’s combination of high stiffness and column strength along with outstanding electrical insulator properties, it is used in a variety of catheter applications including Electrophysiology, Cardiovascular, and Urological stone retrieval.

Polyimide suppliers have historically used NMP (n-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone) as a solvent in the manufacturing process. In a recent finding that could have ramifications in the industry, the EPA has found that NMP, as a whole chemical substance, presents “an unreasonable risk of injury to human health when evaluated under its conditions of use.” This finding determined that NMP posed an unreasonable risk to health in 29 of 37 use cases, which include domestic manufacturing, import, processing in plastics manufacturing, various other industrial uses, as well as disposal. The EPA is expected to propose a set of risk management actions, which will then be followed by a public comment period. There is still substantial uncertainty as to the final restrictions,  which puts the established filmcast polyimide supply chain in question. 

To mitigate this risk to the medical industry’s supply chain, Confluent has developed an NMP-Free option with equivalent performance to historical polyimide along with a stable supply chain. This material meets Europe’s REACH compliance requirements, avoids the impending EPA findings against NMP, and provides improved safety for our employees, vendors, and patients. During the show, Confluent’s subject-matter-experts brought samples of this new material to demonstrate its resemblance to traditional polyimide but without any restricted substances. In addition, they teased about an upcoming announcement related to polyimide that has been quoted as a “breakthrough in Polyimide technology”, so keep an eye out for more on that soon!

Advancements in Electrospun Material
For the 5th year in a row, Confluent welcomed their partners from The Electrospinning Company to showcase the latest advancements in suture-less medical device coverings. One of their latest offerings includes their 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗫® 𝗛𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀. This innovative hybrid textile is an ideal material for Cardiovascular, Neurovascular, Orthopedic, and General Surgery. The advantages of Electrospinning this hybrid textile to a Nitinol stent allows for enhanced tissues integration, preserved textile strength, control over permeability, ultra-low profile, and flexibility.

Traditional suturing of a textile to a device frame comes with many setbacks and limitations. Adapting a suture-less option provides reduced manufacturing costs, reduced risk of leaks or fractures, uniformed coating, and even stress-strain distribution.

MD&M West 2025 showcased an exciting array of advancements that will help shape the future of medical manufacturing. From NMP-free polyimide tubing ensuring a safer, more sustainable supply chain to electrospun hybrid textiles revolutionizing suture-less medical device coverings, innovation was at the forefront. Additionally, the Confluent-ATI partnership continues to drive improvements in Nitinol availability, reducing lead times and enhancing material access for the industry. As we look ahead, these advancements reinforce the importance of collaboration and cutting-edge technology in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in medical manufacturing. Stay tuned for more updates, and we hope to see you at next year’s event!