Articles
Precision Laser Processing Impacts Medical Device Design Options
July 25, 2012 2:46 pm | by Allan Callander | CommentsThe development of laser technology in the manufacture of medical devices has so exploded in the past 20 years that it is now impossible to fully describe the breadth of applications in anything less than an encyclopedic volume. But a brief recollection of some of the key historical accomplishments and medical devices influenced can help shed light on what we can expect in the next decade.
‘Just Make It Smaller’
July 25, 2012 2:35 pm | by Jeremy Lug and Randolph Sablich | Metrigraphics, LLC | CommentsIn the effort to make electronic medical devices smaller, there are a number of obstacles that must be overcome to achieve success. While “just making it smaller” may be the request from the OEM, the component suppliers have a much tougher road to provide the required part. This article looks at a number of factors that need to be examined and offers tips for success.
Miniaturization of Electronic Substrates for Medical Device Applications
July 25, 2012 12:26 pm | by Frank D. Egitto, Rabindra N. Das, Glen E. Thomas, and Susan Bagen | Endicott Interconnect Technologies, Inc | CommentsThe medical industry is clearly and urgently in need of the development of advanced packaging that can meet the growing demand for miniaturization, high-speed performance, and flexibility for handheld, portable, in vivo, and implantable devices. To accomplish this, new, smaller packaging structures need to be able to integrate more dies with greater function, higher I/O counts, smaller die pad pitches, and high reliability.
Power Possibilities for In-Home Patient Monitoring
July 25, 2012 12:07 pm | by Robin Sarah Tichy, Ph.D. | Electrochem Solutions | CommentsWhen seeking power solutions for in-home patient monitoring devices, manufacturers have an array of technologies from which to choose. However, the specific benefits and considerations for each must be evaluated for each application. This article highlights a number of these options and looks to consumer devices as excellent examples of how power technologies can best be used.
Perspectives On A Question of Safety
July 25, 2012 11:54 am | Accutek Testing Laboratory | CommentsHow has news questioning the safety of medical devices misled the public about testing protocols?
Gearmotors: Achieving the Perfect Motor & Gearbox Match
July 24, 2012 2:59 pm | by Seth Hulst and Loren Kamstra | Groschopp, Inc. | CommentsFor electrical and mechanical design engineers in the process of developing applications, choosing a gearmotor can be a tricky and arduous process. Can motors and gearboxes be purchased separately and then matched for an application? Is it better to specify a pre-engineered gearmotor? What are the differences? By following the two gearmotor selection methods readers will receive a checklist of considerations to determine which process would be the most helpful and steps to complete the gearmotor selection process. There are many factors to consider when choosing a gearmotor.
Designing a Wound Dressing to Manage Burns
July 18, 2012 1:51 pm | by Steve Bishop, Wayne Bonnefin, and Lucy Ballamy | Convatec | CommentsIt is estimated that one million burn injuries occur annually in the United States, resulting in 45,000 hospitalizations. The hands are involved with a large number of burn injuries, and partial thickness burns (PTBs) are among the most frequently-occurring types. A PTB is marked by the destruction of the epidermal cell layers of the skin, extending into, but not through, the dermis.
New Speech Valve with High Purity Zirconia Lasts Eight Times Longer than Traditional Silicon
July 18, 2012 9:29 am | by Morgan Technical Ceramics | Morgan Technical Ceramics | CommentsRobust biocompatible material to improves comfort and reduces healthcare costs. Morgan Technical Ceramics (MTC) worked with the UK-based University of Hull to develop a new valve used to restore vocal function for patients with throat cancer. The new tracheo-oesophageal fistula speech valve uses Zyranox™ bio-compatible Yttria partially-stabilized Zirconia, specifically developed for surgical implant devices.
The Design and Manufacture of DentalVibe Injection Comfort System
July 17, 2012 3:46 pm | by BING Innovations | CommentsNo more painful dental injections. That would be music to the ears of millions of people in the U.S. and around the world who fear going to the dentist. According to studies from the Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington Dental School in Seattle, upwards of 50 million Americans avoid the dentist due to their fear of pain. Most often, it’s the pain associated with dreaded dental injections. The fact is that dentistry itself doesn’t hurt – injections do.
The Little Things That Kill
July 17, 2012 3:35 pm | by Jeff Reinke | CommentsA look inside the design of cancer detection and imaging technology offers insight on the time, footprint and specification challenges inherent to medical product development.
Meder Develops a Micro-Miniature Hermetically Sealed Reed Switch
July 17, 2012 3:19 pm | by John Beigel | Meder Electronic Inc. | CommentsMicro-machining technology, simply stated, is the utilization of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in such a way that it creates micro-mechanical systems that serve a specific purpose. MEDER’s objective was to develop a micro-miniature hermetically sealed reed switch that is able to function exactly like the larger, standard hermetically sealed reed switch.
New Patch-Based Wearable Sensor Combines Advanced Skin Adhesives and Sensor Technologies
July 17, 2012 2:50 pm | by Deepak Prakash | Vancive Medical Technologies™ | CommentsAdvances in adhesives, materials, software and sensor technologies are spurring development of a new generation of wearable sensors and monitors for medical and health management applications. A notable example is a patch-based wearable sensor that adheres comfortably to the user’s skin and continuously gathers physiological and lifestyle information, with certain versions that will include vital signs and other indicators for up to seven days. The patch-based wearable sensor represents a major advancement in personal monitoring device design, functionality and wear time.
Yes, it is Brain Surgery – So Precision is Everything
July 17, 2012 2:23 pm | by Lynn Manning | CommentsThe patient lies wide awake in the operating room (OR), the top of his draped head bared to the neurosurgeon. A second doctor stands at the patient’s side, lifts the man’s arm, and flexes it gently. The hand and wrist are stiff, with a visible tremor. The surgeon makes a slight adjustment to brain-penetrating electrodes mounted through a starburst-shaped plastic fixture fastened to the man’s skull. “How about now?” the surgeon asks. The arm is moved again, this time naturally, smoothly, without shaking. “That’s it,” says the patient, nodding his head with relief.
Large Diameter, Low Speed Fans Work Year-Round for Manufacturing Spaces
July 17, 2012 2:04 pm | by Erin Holaday Ziegler | CommentsMany manufacturers face challenges with energy costs, employee comfort and product integrity year-round. Large diameter, low speed fans go to work to overcome these challenges in industrial facilities around the world. As a means of effective air circulation, big fans reduce condensation, improve overall air quality, disperse localized fumes and keep workers comfortable with smooth, non-turbulent airflow.
Multi-Purpose Apps? Some Applications Have “Curative” Potential
July 17, 2012 1:54 pm | by Messe Dusseldorf North America | Medica 2012/Messe Dusseldorf North America | CommentsMini-applications (apps) for smart phones and tablet computers are booming. What originally appeared to be nothing more than gimmicks could now be considered to be “coming of age”. Apps may not only revolutionize the private health market, some of them also have the potential to influence how we deal with medicine at home, in hospitals and in medical practices.
