How are you influencing cardiovascular devices?
Jeff Lind
President, Compliance West
As
cardiovascular design surpasses Medical Standard requirements, custom test
equipment providers are challenged by equipment designers to build more
accurate and reliable equipment, with decreasing cycle times to handle more
throughput.
Because
standardized tests don’t exist for many of these new designs, custom test
equipment has to be based on robust engines that can be quickly modified to
provide the new test package. Since the test packages are empirical, test equipment
should be flexible so it can be modified after production should official test
Standards become available.
Kimberly Powell
Business Development Manager, Healthcare & Life Sciences, NVIDIA
NVIDIA is
involved in a number of collaborations with developers, clinicians, and medical
educators that advance the state-of-the-art in cardiovascular devices. Collaboration
between NVIDIA, Cyberheart, and Stanford
University produced a
device that takes MRI data from heart patients, creates vascular volumes and
surfaces in 3D, then simulates and visualizes cardiac blood flow in real time.
By harnessing the large graphics memory in NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics
processing units (GPUs), NVIDIA CUDA parallel computing technology with OpenGL-based
graphics, and a 3D-enabled stereoscopic display, clinicians gain non-invasive
and interactive insights into abnormal blood flow patterns, enabling faster
diagnosis.
The UCLH Heart
Hospital and Glassworks
leveraged NVIDIA solutions to develop Heartworks, an animated 3D model of a
beating human heart used to teach cardiac anatomy and simulate the experience
of transesophageal echocardiography. Using NVIDIA Quadro GPUs and their massively
parallel computing capabilities, clinicians can tap complex data sets to
produce an authentic ultrasound representation, animate the model to beat in
real-time to show changes in the heart's shape during the cardiac cycle, and
view slices of the scene to gain valuable diagnostic insights.
Dave Bird
Balluff Inc.
We are
influencing cardiovascular devices on several fronts. We
are contained in many “on-board” instruments like cardiac bypass systems that
use new technologies for reliable blood level sensing on oxygenation canisters
where film, residue, bubbles, or froth can false trigger traditional sensing
technologies.
- In error-proofing
the manufacturing of stents, balloon catheters, manifolds, and related
“plumbing” involved in cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, etc.
- In error-proofing
the precision forming of expensive titanium and related alloys that eventually
become implantable pacemaker or defibrillator cases in cardiac rhythm
management disciplines. These metals are extremely expensive and if mistakes
are made in the forming process, they’re very costly.
- In
confirmation of specific components used in cardiovascular kits that contain a
myriad of “parts” for application-specific procedures, with low-cost, yet highly
functional vision sensors.
Tero Káhkönen
VP, Customized Products Business, VTI Technologies Oy
VTI Technologies
Oy is a leading supplier of sensors for activity monitoring in cardiac rhythm
management (CMR) applications. The company’s MEMS solutions are based on VTI’s
proprietary 3D MEMS technology that enhances cardiovascular devices in many
ways—improving intelligence about patient condition, providing better
performance and well-being for the patient, and enabling smaller dimensions.For pacemakers,
accuracy, low power, and reliability are the key parameters; more accurate
activity monitoring means the patient’s heart rate can be adjusted to match precisely
the needs of the patient. VTI’s unique MEMS design, which combines single
crystal silicon and glass, ensures exceptional reliability, unprecedented
accuracy, and excellent stability over time. The power requirements of these
sensors are extremely low, which gives them a significant advantage in small
battery-operated devices. VTI’s 3D MEMS technology enables ever smaller sensors
and batteries to be designed, thus meeting the miniaturization requirements of
the manufacturers of implantable devices.
Paul Ogden
Director of Sales, ASG Medical Systems
ASG Medical
Systems is designing and building automated machinery that powers the
manufacturing of disposable medical devices. Our technology makes new
life-saving procedures, such as angioplasty and catheter-based surgeries, work
better. Our machines make these lifesaving instruments less costly and more
effective so people can get the life-prolonging surgery they need.Medical
manufacturers today are developing surgical procedures for treatment of diseases
such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, joint degeneration, and diabetes. These
surgeries rely on precisely designed instruments that are inserted through
small incisions to perform complex tasks like placing stents, repairing damaged
tissues, removing tumors, and clearing blocked arteries. These instruments are
traditionally manufactured by hand in laboratories.
ASG’s machines
automate the manufacturing of surgical catheters, much like modern automobile
factories build cars faster and better than humans can. Our most popular
machines are the Accu-Cut 202L automatic tube cutter, and our AGF-3M automated
guidewire feeder. Both can process parts much faster while holding much tighter
tolerances than humanly possible.