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Atraumatic Nose Cones.

Atraumatic Nose Cones for Catheter Prototyping

Bondable, injection-molded Pebax atraumatic tips for catheter and delivery system prototyping. Seven sizes from 12 to 24 French, four Pebax durometers from 25D to 72D, optional radiopaque or lubricious additives, 1.4 mm guidewire lumen with stepped distal seal. Order single units or packs, ship in seven days.

What it is

Protobrix Nose Cone is a soft, tapered, injection-molded distal tip designed to be bonded to the end of a catheter shaft, dilator, or delivery system during prototyping and bench development. Each part is produced in real medical-grade Pebax with the dimensional consistency and surface finish of an injection-molded component.

The geometry is a single, validated family that scales cleanly from 12 to 24 French. The base outer diameter (D1) matches the nominal Fr size. The taper length (L2) and total length (L1) follow a fixed ratio across the range, so transition behavior stays predictable whether you build a 12 Fr neurovascular aspiration prototype or a 24 Fr large-bore access dilator.

Guidewire lumen and distal seal
The internal lumen (D3) is held at 1.4 mm across all sizes, sized for over-the-wire builds running standard guidewires up to 0.035". At the distal end, the lumen transitions to a stepped section with a reduced diameter of 1 mm (D2) over a length of 3 to 10 mm. This stepped geometry creates a contact seal around the guidewire at the tip, preventing fluid leakback through the lumen during bench testing, replicating the sealing behavior found in finished catheter designs.
Proximal interface and shaft compatibility
The rear section of the nose cone, the proximal end that receives the catheter shaft, is where most of the integration work happens. This zone has a reduced outer diameter (D5) and a chamfered transition, designed so that an external tube slides over the nose cone body and mates flush against the tapered section.

The chamfer eliminates any step or ledge at the junction between shaft and nose cone. This matters more than it might seem: in bench testing, a step at the distal transition creates drag, disrupts trackability, and produces results that do not reflect the behavior of a finished device.
The design accommodates external shaft diameters between D5 and D1, which means the same nose cone works with a range of tube sizes. This gives you flexibility to test different shaft diameters against the same tip geometry without changing the nose cone.

What it does for your build

Drop-in replacement for the soft distal segment of a prototype catheter. Bond it to your shaft with a Pebax-compatible adhesive (cyanoacrylate, UV-cure, or epoxy) and you have a real molded transition tip in minutes instead of running an in-house tip-forming or RF tipping cycle. Use cases we see most often:

  • Vascular access sheaths and large-bore introducers
  • Structural heart delivery systems (TAVI, mitral, tricuspid)
  • Neurovascular aspiration catheters
  • Peripheral and large-bore therapeutic delivery
  • GI and ENT access devices
  • Any early-stage build where you need to compare two or three durometers in parallel without committing to custom tooling

Because the parts are stocked and configurable, you can run a real A/B/C bench comparison: same geometry, three different Pebax grades.

What you choose

When you order, you configure three things:

1. Size (outer diameter at base) Available in 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 French. All sizes share a 1.4 mm internal lumen sized for standard 0.035" guidewires.

2. Material (Pebax base)

  • Pebax 2533 SA 01 (25 Shore D):
     softest, maximum atraumaticity, ideal for distal-most segments and tortuous neurovascular or peripheral access.
  • Pebax 5533 SA 01 (55 Shore D): 
    mid-range, good balance of softness and shape retention.
  • Pebax 6333 SA 01 (63 Shore D): 
    firmer, for dilator and access-sheath transition tips.
  • Pebax 7233 SA 01 (72 Shore D):
    semi-rigid, for stiffer dilator applications and proximal transitions.

3. Options

  • + BaSO₄ (radiopaque): 
    barium sulfate-loaded for fluoroscopic visibility. Available on Pebax 2533, 5533, and 7233.
  • + Propell (lubricious):
    friction-reducing additive. Available on Pebax 3533 (35 Shore D).

Intended use

Protobrix Nose Cones are bench prototyping components for catheter development. They are not medical devices, they are not sterile, and they are not intended for clinical, in vivo, or preclinical animal use. Their purpose is to let R&D teams iterate distal tip geometry, durometer, and radiopacity on the bench, fast and cheap, before committing to production-grade tooling. Materials and process approach those of a finished device closely enough to give meaningful bench results.

Lead time and ordering

7 days, every order. 



200.00 € 200.00 € (Tax excluded)

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Custom dimensions and overmolding.

The same process that lets us stock the standard range also lets us produce custom variants. Two services are available through a dedicated request form:

  • Custom dimensions. Different OD, length, taper ratio, lumen, or a Pebax grade not in the standard catalog. We pull or print the matching mold and run your part in the next batch. Same materials, same tolerances, same 7 days.

  • Overmolding on your shaft. Send us your tubing, we mold the cone directly onto it and return a finished, bonded distal segment. No adhesive joint, no bond strength compromise. 

The custom dimensions will be quoted after review by our engineers. Lead time is 14 days.

The form takes a few technical fields (target OD, length, material, quantity, your shaft specs if applicable) and routes directly to our engineering team.

Same materials, same tolerances, same 7-day lead time.


Frequently asked questions

What is an atraumatic nose cone?

The atraumatic nose cone is the soft, tapered tip at the distal end of a catheter or delivery system. Its job is to let the device cross tissue, vessels, and anatomy without causing damage. It's typically made from a low-durometer polymer like Pebax 25D to 35D, often loaded with a radiopaque filler so it's visible under fluoroscopy.

Why don't off-the-shelf atraumatic nose cones already exist?

Because traditional production requires a CNC-machined steel mold. Mold cost starts around €2,000 and lead time runs three to six weeks. Suppliers therefore treat every nose cone as a custom job. Protobrix uses 3D-printed molds qualified for low-pressure injection, which removes both the cost floor and the lead time, and makes a stocked product range economically viable for the first time.

Are these molded or 3D-printed parts?

They are real injection-molded Pebax parts. The mold itself is 3D-printed; the part is not. This matters because injection produces the dimensional consistency, surface finish, and bulk material properties that 3D-printed Pebax cannot match.

Which Pebax grade should I choose?

The general design rule for catheters: distal third uses 25D to 40D, middle third 55D to 63D, proximal third 70D to 74D. If your nose cone is the distal-most contact element, choose Pebax 2533 (25D) or Pebax 3533 + Propell. If it's a transition tip on a dilator or sheath, Pebax 5533 (55D) or 6333 (63D) is usually right. If you need stiffness for a large-bore dilator, go to Pebax 7233 (72D).

What is the lumen for?

The 1.4 mm internal lumen is sized to accommodate standard guidewires up to 0.038". This makes the nose cones compatible with over-the-wire delivery system architectures.

Can I bond these to my own tube?

Yes. The nose cones are designed to be bonded to standard catheter shafts using cyanoacrylate, UV-cure, or epoxy adhesives compatible with Pebax. Surface preparation guidance is available on request.

What if I need a different OD, length, or material?

Contact us. The 3D-printed mold approach means custom dimensions can be produced on the same 7-day lead time. We can also overmold the nose cone directly onto a shaft you send us.

Are these medical devices? Can I use them in animal or clinical testing?

No. Protobrix Nose Cones are bench prototyping components, not medical devices. They are not sterile and are not intended for clinical, in vivo, or preclinical animal use. They are designed to let you iterate distal tip geometry, durometer, and radiopacity on the bench before committing to production tooling. For preclinical or clinical-grade parts, you'll need a finished device manufactured under the appropriate quality system — which is a separate Protomed service.

What is the lead time?

Seven days from order confirmation, regardless of size, material, or quantity (1, 5, or 10 units).