What Duke Empirical does

Duke Empirical is a contract manufacturer specializing in catheter-based medical devices, delivery systems, custom medical tubing, and minimally invasive surgical products. Founded in 2007 by Robert LaDuca and headquartered in a 60,000+ sq ft ISO Class 8 cleanroom facility in Morgan Hill, California, the company operates as a private-label and design-through-manufacturing partner for global medical device OEMs across interventional cardiology, structural heart, neurovascular, peripheral vascular, and urology applications. Its proprietary SLIX® family of medical tubing materials — PebaSLIX®, PolySLIX™, NyloSLIX®, and FluoroSLIX® — plus the VERGO® steerable access sheath product line (18Fr–32Fr) form the differentiated technology base, supported by precision extrusion, braid and coil reinforcement, hydrophilic coating, injection molding, and custom automated manufacturing equipment.

The company generates revenue through three primary streams: full-service contract manufacturing (design, prototyping, validation, commercial production, sterilization, packaging) sold via quote-based multi-year OEM contracts; private-label medical products (including VERGO® sheaths and off-the-shelf catheter components) sold to OEMs for rebranding; and licensing of proprietary SLIX® materials and technologies. Pricing is quote-based with a stock-tubing e-commerce channel (3,000+ SKUs, 24–48 hour shipment) providing baseline revenue. Duke Empirical holds ISO 13485:2016 certification (since 2003, certified by NQA), USP Class VI compliance for certain materials, and serves top-tier global OEMs worldwide.

On July 7, 2025, Duke Empirical was acquired by TEAM Technologies (Arlington Capital Partners-backed), which subsequently acquired TAG3 Engineering (September 2025) and rebranded as Cordica Medical in January 2026. Duke Empirical continues to operate under its own commercial brand within the Cordica Medical platform, retaining founder Robert LaDuca as CEO, and debuted publicly as part of Cordica Medical at the MD&M West conference in February 2026.

Name

Duke Empirical

Legal name

Duke Empirical Corporation

Website

https://dukeempirical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Duke Empirical is an ISO 13485-certified contract manufacturer of catheter-based medical devices, delivery systems, and custom medical tubing, serving global medical device OEMs with proprietary SLIX® materials, VERGO® access sheaths, and turnkey design-through-manufacturing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device Contract Manufacturing

NAICS

Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Primary Pharmaceutical Packaging (Blister Packs, Bottles, Vials, Ampoules) (IMALAIAA)

Keywords

• Catheter contract manufacturing
• Custom medical tubing
• Minimally invasive devices
• Medical device OEM services
• Precision extrusion tubing

Headquarters

HQ city

Morgan Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing Services: Full-service contract manufacturing for medical device OEMs providing catheter design, development, precision extrusion, component assembly, and finished goods manufacturing. Revenue generated through project-based fees and ongoing manufacturing contracts.
2. Private Label Medical Products: Sale of standard private label medical products that OEMs can purchase and brand as their own. Shortens time to market entry with lower cost than de novo product development.
3. Proprietary Material Licensing: Licensing of proprietary materials (PebaSLIX, PolySLIX, NyloSLIX, FluoroSLIX) and technologies to enhance OEM product performance and differentiate device offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Duke Empirical is a full-service contract manufacturer of catheter-based medical devices, delivery systems, custom medical tubing, and minimally invasive surgical products. The company supports the entire product life cycle for medical device OEMs from initial design, engineering, testing, and development through validated full-scale manufacturing and regulatory compliance. It also offers proprietary branded materials (PebaSLIX®, PolySLIX™, NyloSLIX®, FluoroSLIX®) and private label products such as VERGO® steerable access sheaths.

Product overview

Duke Empirical is a contract manufacturer of finished medical devices specializing in catheter-based medical devices, delivery systems, custom medical tubing, and minimally invasive surgical products. The company operates as part of Cordica Medical (formerly TEAM Technologies) following acquisition in July 2025. The product portfolio centers on custom catheter design and manufacturing capabilities complemented by proprietary material technologies including PebaSLIX®, PolySLIX™, NyloSLIX®, and FluoroSLIX® brands. Core offerings include finished catheter products (VERGO® Steerable Access Sheaths), medical tubing in various polymers (PEEK, Pebax®, PET, Nylon, Polyurethane), reinforced tubing (braided and coil configurations), and covered stents. Services span new product design and development, medical device manufacturing and assembly, and private label OEM products. All manufacturing operates under ISO 13485:2016 certified quality systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Duke Extrusion: A sister site and stock tubing e-commerce platform offering in-stock reinforced braided medical tubing, high-pressure tubing, kink-resistant tubing, and deflectable tip catheters with 48-hour turnaround time.

Products and services

• New Product Design and Development Services Full-service catheter product development for OEM companies including design verification per ISO 13485:2016, design screening, prototype development, design characterization, and clinical release support.
• Medical Product Manufacturing and Assembly Services Contract manufacturing services from initial concept to finished products including design for manufacturing, pilot production, commercial manufacturing, automation solutions, assembly, kitting, packaging, and sterilization within ISO Class VIII certified facilities.
• Private Label Medical Products Private label catheter products for medical OEMs including steerable catheters, introducer sheaths, neurovascular catheters, guide catheters, microcatheters, balloon catheters, endoscopic tubing, biopsy catheters, and sensing catheters, with FDA clearance support.
• VERGO® Steerable Access Sheaths Steerable vascular access sheaths for OEM structural heart solutions, available in off-the-shelf sizes between 18Fr and 32Fr, featuring buttons for temporary hemostasis during device insertion and valve position indicators.
• Custom Guide Catheters Essential catheters for gaining access to blood vessel locations to deliver therapy, available with various tip shapes (Judkins left, Judkins right, etc.), bright platinum/iridium/tungsten radiopaque tips, active tip deflection, and balloon attachment options.
• Balloon Dilation Catheters Catheters for opening constrictions and applying radially expansive forces in anatomical structures, used in heart valves, coronary and peripheral arteries, transseptal access, neurovascular, renal, and other procedures, available in RX (rapid exchange) or over-the-wire configurations.
• Ultrasound Catheters Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) catheters providing 360° visualization of anatomical structures, using materials transparent in ultrasound imaging with RX options available.
• Embolic Protection Devices Custom embolic protection devices guarding internal organs against ischemic disease, available in various forms incorporating filters of different materials and mesh sizes for temporary or permanently implantable applications.
• ePTFE Stent Covers & Covered Medical Devices Expanded PTFE membrane materials and covered stents for medical device applications requiring low friction, flexibility, strong thin membranes, and excellent biocompatibility, used in structural heart, peripheral vasculature, neurovascular, and orthopedic applications.
• PebaSLIX® Medical Tubing Proprietary low-friction tubing material offering better lubricity than HDPE, formulated from PEBA base with special additives dispersed via twin-screw compounding for tight tolerance extrusion.
• PolySLIX™ Medical Tubing Specially formulated material with better lubricity than HDPE, processed like standard polyurethane, incorporating special additives uniformly dispersed into polyurethane base resin without affecting mechanical properties or sterilization characteristics.
• NyloSLIX® Nylon Polymer Medical Tubing Premium nylon polymer grade material with enhanced temperature resistance and elastic memory, bonds with Pebax® and PebaSLIX® materials, available in various sizes and optimal as inner liner for braided catheter shafts.
• FluoroSLIX® Fluoropolymer Medical Tubing The softest extruded thermoplastic medical tubing on the market, withstands temperatures up to 550°F, provides greater stretching flexibility than urethane and Pebax®, featuring the lowest friction of soft materials.
• PEEK Medical Tubing Engineering-grade thermoplastic polymer tubing with high column strength, tensile strength, flexural modulus, and torsional stability, suitable for long-term implants due to excellent biocompatibility and USP Class VI compliance.
• Pebax® Medical Tubing Block copolymer polyether block amide tubing with excellent mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, available in durometer grades from 25D to 74D, extrudable in thin wall sections down to .001".
• Polyester Medical Tubing (PET) Lightweight thermoplastic polymer resin with excellent dielectric strength and wear resistance, UV resistant with very low water absorption, provides outstanding optical clarity for OCT catheter applications.
• Nylon (PA) Medical Tubing Strong, lightweight thermoplastic tubing with excellent abrasion resistance, crush and cracking resistance, and 72 Shore D hardness rating, featuring tear and puncture resistance, flexural fatigue resistance, and low moisture absorption.
• Polyurethane Medical Tubing Versatile medical-grade resin merging properties of rubber and plastic, highly biocompatible, softens at body temperature for patient comfort, available in durometers from 62A to 75D, used for epidural catheters, compliant balloon products, and cardiovascular devices.
• High-Pressure Medical Tubing Braided configurations for space-critical applications using stainless steel, nitinol wire, or polymer filaments (nylon, PET, PEN, Kevlar™, carbon fiber, Spectra™, Vectran™), ideal for flush lines in contrast injection, angiographic catheters, and balloon catheters.
• Reinforced Braided Medical Tubing Custom braided catheter tubing with metal or fiber braided structure surrounded by two plastic polymer layers, providing torque transmission, column strength, and burst pressure resistance for high-performance catheter applications.
• Coil Reinforced Medical Tubing Coil reinforced composite tubing providing improved kink resistance, burst strength, and pressure holding capabilities, available in ribbon, round, or flat coil filament geometries with single or multi-filament options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stock tubing products ship within 24 hours of purchase
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TAG3 EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2026Alongside Duke Empirical, TAG3 Engineering was acquired by TEAM Technologies to form Cordica Medical. TAG3 is a full-service MedTech design and manufacturing firm that complemented TEAM's existing product development and manufacturing strengths.
• TEAM Technologies (now Cordica Medical)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2025Duke Empirical was acquired by TEAM Technologies, a leading end-to-end outsourced manufacturer of mission-critical medical devices. The acquisition expanded TEAM's capabilities in minimally invasive, cardiology, and interventional markets, combining Duke's specialized front-end design and catheter expertise with TEAM's comprehensive capability set and global manufacturing footprint.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Integer Holdings: Integer Holdings is a large medical device contract manufacturer with extensive catheter and delivery system capabilities serving similar OEM customers in cardiovascular and structural heart. Like Duke Empirical, Integer offers design, development, and manufacturing services for finished catheter-based devices but at significantly greater scale.
• Nordson Medical: Nordson Medical (formed through the Vention Medical acquisition) is a direct competitor in medical tubing and catheter-based device contract manufacturing. Both companies offer precision extrusion, balloon catheter manufacturing, and component assembly services to medical device OEMs across similar therapeutic areas.
• Spectrum Plastics Group: Spectrum Plastics Group (now part of DuPont) is a closely comparable specialty medical tubing and catheter manufacturer. Both companies offer precision extrusion of Pebax®, nylon, PEEK, polyurethane, and fluoropolymer tubing for minimally invasive devices, with similar OEM customer profiles.
• Trelleborg Healthcare & Medical: Trelleborg Healthcare & Medical manufactures precision medical tubing and catheter components, including silicone and polymer tubing for medical device OEMs. The company competes with Duke Empirical in reinforced braided and precision-extruded tubing for minimally invasive applications.
• SMC Ltd. SMC Ltd. is a contract manufacturer specializing in single-use medical devices with catheter-based device capabilities. Both companies provide full-service design, prototyping, and manufacturing for medical device OEMs in similar therapeutic areas.
• Flexan: Flexan is a medical device contract manufacturer with capabilities in custom-molded silicone, thermoplastic components, and sub-assemblies. It serves medical device OEMs in similar therapeutic areas and competes for catheter and delivery system manufacturing programs.
• J-Pac Medical: J-Pac Medical is a medical device contract manufacturer offering design, development, and manufacturing services including catheter assembly and packaging. It serves OEM customers in similar minimally invasive and surgical device categories as Duke Empirical.

Broad incumbents

• TE Connectivity: TE Connectivity is a broad incumbent with a medical segment that produces high-precision medical tubing and catheters. While much larger and more diversified across industrial and automotive end markets, its medical catheter and tubing offerings compete directly with Duke Empirical's precision extrusion portfolio.
• Teleflex: Teleflex is a broad medical device incumbent with a strong catheter franchise (including interventional cardiology, structural heart, and specialty catheters). While Teleflex markets finished devices under its own brand, its in-house catheter manufacturing capability competes with the same OEM customers Duke Empirical serves.

Emerging players

• Teleflex Medical OEM: Teleflex Medical OEM provides custom extrusions, catheters, and components to medical device OEMs. It overlaps directly with Duke Empirical's precision extrusion and private-label catheter capabilities, though it operates as part of Teleflex's broader commercial structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuPDl9lUZU3Mlr90K-AmNAA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/team-technologies-incorporated

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Duke Empirical