Nanotechnology-engineered thin film coatings used in industrial applications are now being developed for medical uses through two Charlotte, North Carolina-area startup companies.
BioMedFlex and OrthoMedFlex have each raised just under $50,000 in separate fundraising rounds targeting $5 million, according to securities filings. George Barr, president of Industrial Hard Carbon, is listed in the filings as a director of both companies. The filings also list Franz Kellar as a manager and director at both companies.
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BioMedFlex shares the same Denver, North Carolina address as Industrial Hard Carbon. OrthoMedFlex is based in nearby Gastonia. Calls to the companies were not answered.
Industrial Hard Carbon is the industrial division of Anatech Ltd., founded by Barr in 1981. The company’s industrial coatings can be found in airplanes and helicopter components. They’re also in equipment used in oil and gas exploration, electronics and auto racing. The company says it engineers anti-wear coatings that avoid failure under extreme loads and extreme conditions.
Now those nano-engineered coatings could find their way into new, innovative medical devices. A sparse BioMedFlex website says the hard carbon thin film coatings offer advantages such as a low coefficient of friction, high wear resistance and the ability to coat large holes as well as small ones measured in micrometers (a millionth of a meter). The company describes the coatings as biocompatible and chemically inert.
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center lists OrthoMedFlex as a company that is developing and manufacturing biocompatible thin film coatings. These coatings can be used in a variety of medical device applications including stents, joint replacements and instruments.
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It looks like Industrial Hard Carbon has been looking at developing its coating technology for medical applications for some time. BioMedFlex was formed in 2005, according to records at the office of the North Carolina Secretary of State. OrthoMedFlex was formed in 2009.
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