Planatome Expands Manufacturing Operations In Arizona

PHOENIX, AZ (February 27, 2024) – Planatome, a medical device company that applies atomic-level polishing from the semiconductor industry to create advanced surgical blades that lead to better patient outcomes, today announced the plans for the development of a manufacturing plant in the greater Phoenix area and to more than double the size of its workforce over the next five years.

“We are grateful for the support we have received from the Arizona Commerce Authority,” said Tim Tobin, CEO, Planatome. “This investment demonstrates that Arizona supports businesses and innovation. Planatome is growing rapidly, and we are expanding the reach of our surgical blades into new practice fields. We are committed to growing our business operations here and a long productive relationship with Arizona."

The Arizona Commerce Authority will also support Planatome through the Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership (AZ MEP), which helps Arizona manufacturers achieve their business goals by connecting them to resources including workforce solutions, supply chain optimization and more.

“Planatome’s new manufacturing facility highlights Arizona’s impressive reputation for emerging technologies and innovation,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “With the planned facility, Planatome will join a growing list of manufacturers making products here in Arizona, adding to our vibrant medical and biotech industry.”

Planatome’s patented surface-modification technology is based on chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), a process used to planarize silicon wafers in advanced chip manufacturing. The process dramatically improves the surface smoothness of surgical blades. Surgeons who use Planatome blades see less soft-tissue damage at the incision, less closing resistance, cleaner margins and fewer complications. Their patients experience less inflammation and pain along with a quicker recovery and smaller, less noticeable scarring. The blades are approved for use in the United States and South Korea and have recently been approved for use by several hospitals and surgical centers.

The company is currently researching how its technology can be used for other medical device applications, including surgical scissors, laparoscopic tools and robot end effectors. Planatome’s technology also can be adapted and applied to several other industries with a wide range of products that could benefit from having an atomically smooth surface.

For more information, visit planatome.com.

Media Contacts

Stephanie Quinn, Kiterocket on behalf of Planatome, [email protected]

Alyssa Tufts, Arizona Commerce Authority, [email protected]

About Planatome, LLC

Founded in 2017 by leaders from the medical device and semiconductor industries, Planatome is a medical device technology company based in Phoenix, Arizona. The company has patented a surface-modification technology based on chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), a process used in advanced semiconductor chip manufacturing. Currently, the company uses this proprietary polishing technology to create smooth, low-trauma, high-precision surgical blades. The blades are in trial with surgeons around the country, who to date have revealed that the blades improve surgical procedures and patient outcomes. The company has new uses for its nano-polishing technology, both in and out of the medical device market. For more information, please visit planatome.com.

About the Arizona Commerce Authority

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state's leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona's economy. The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: attract, expand, create - attract out-of-state companies to establish operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to expand their business in Arizona and beyond; and help entrepreneurs create new Arizona businesses in targeted industries. For more information, please visit azcommerce.com and follow the ACA on Twitter @azcommerce.