Three Important Questions to Ask When Considering a Materials Science Partner

When it comes to developing life-changing medical devices, the right materials science partner can make all the difference. But identifying that partner isn’t always simple. OEMs must navigate challenges around cost, reliability, flexibility, supply chain security, and above all, quality and innovation. 

The reality is that not all partners are equipped to deliver the level of expertise and consistency required to bring complex devices to market. To help guide your decision, we’ve identified three important questions to ask when evaluating a materials science partner and how Confluent Medical Technologies delivers on each one. 

 What is your experience with end-to-end development and manufacturing?

Your partner’s experience matters. Years in the industry, the scale of their customer base, and the breadth of their footprint all demonstrate whether they can reliably support your program from concept through commercialization. 

At Confluent Medical, our vertically integrated approach means we don’t just specialize in one material or one phase of the process, we provide comprehensive expertise across the entire materials science spectrum. From Nitinol and polymers to textiles and balloons, our cross-functional teams ensure that every step of development is seamlessly connected to manufacturing. This integrated model reduces risks, shortens lead times, and ensures that your project benefits from both the depth and breadth of expertise.

Can you provide relevant examples of how you helped other customers move from concept to commercialization?

It’s one thing to say you have expertise, but it is another to demonstrate it with results. Real-world examples, case studies, and customer testimonials provide proof of how a partner has solved complex problems and scaled devices successfully. 

Confluent Medical has supported hundreds of OEMs in bringing devices from concept to market. One leading medical device company came to Confluent for help refining its Nitinol component tolerances. Our team re-engineered most of their features to allow for tighter dimensional control while reducing unnecessary precision where it was not critical, resulting in 50–70% cost savings without sacrificing performance.   

Whether it’s innovating new minimally invasive technologies, advancing polymer solutions, or creating scalable manufacturing processes, our work is guided by the needs of our partners and their patients. Each collaboration tells a story of challenges solved, timelines met, and devices delivered that are transforming medical device manufacturing worldwide. 

What is your approach to project management and risk mitigation?

Bringing a medical device to market requires navigating a complex landscape of technical, regulatory, and operational challenges. That’s why it’s important to understand how your partner manages risk and oversees projects from start to finish. 

At Confluent Medical, we take a proactive approach to project management, with clear processes in place to track progress, identify risks early, and address challenges before they become roadblocks. Our teams leverage decades of experience to help customers navigate evolving regulations while maintaining speed, quality, and reliability.  

For example, 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 the solvent 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. To mitigate this risk, Confluent has developed a REACH Compliant Polyimide and TPU offering that drastically simplifies the overall compliance process.  These materials can be applied utilizing no restricted substances by removing NMP, before the EPA formally regulates the substance. Confluent took a proactive approach to identify a potential risk early to prevent any disruption to the supply chain. 

Conclusion 

Although not an exhaustive list, these three questions will help you uncover whether a materials science partner has the capabilities, safeguards, and proven expertise to support your most critical needs. 

At Confluent Medical Technologies, we take pride in being more than just a supplier, we are your trusted partner for bringing current and future medical devices to market. 

Interested in learning more about how Confluent Medical Technologies can support all your materials science needs? 
Reach out to us at Sales@confluentmedical.com.