Blackline

Since it's introduction to the medical device industry in the late 1980's, Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) has become widely used to deposit wear resistant, thin film coatings onto medical devices (including heart pacemakers, surgical instruments, and orthopaedic implants). The main value in PVD technologyy rests in the ability to modify the surface properties of a device without changing the underlying material's peroperties and biochemical functionality. We use this advanced tecnology as a surface enhancement on medical grade titanium jewellery.

The surface coating is tremendously adhesive to the substrate, is conformal and pinhole free, is an excellent permeation barrier, and is sterile on preparation.

The biocompatibility of a componant is an absolute pre-requisite when applied in medical device situations. The base forumla for Blackline has been tested by an independent biological testing laboratory, and is certified biocompatible for external and internal medical devices that come into contact with bone, skin, tissue or blood.

The unique chemical formula and process methods for Blackline have been analysed by a series of noted technical institutions including the Technische Universitat in Braunschweig, the Bundesanstalt fur Materialforschung in Berlin, and the Fraunhoger Institut fur Schicht und Oberflachentechnik in Braunschweig, amongst others. Without exception, all noted scientific experts confirmed the appropriateness of the special formula and it's specific surface treatment for body piercing jewellery.

Our Blackline body jewellery exists in a class of it's own. The PVD layer is applied in the most advanced laboratory of it's kind in the whole of Europe, and all pieces are microscopically examined for integrity.

Extensive sensation trials, involving millions of people, have taken place over a ten year period without any reported biocompatibility problems. All Blackline body jewellery involves the PVD coating applied to a G23 medical titanium substrate. As the is no lattice mismatch between the plasma and the substrate, the adhesion is tremendous. Blackline body jewellery also possesses an extremely low coefficient of friction (plasma nitrides and now replacing PTFE in certain situations) and a micro smoothed surface texture. Blackline is further resistant to autoclave induced corrosion, and is compatible with steam and chemical sterilisation treatments.

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