Medical Design Technology articles from November 2008

Medical Design Technology archives from November 2008

Sensors developed for highly accurate medical thermometers.(Innovations)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] These disposable thermometers are characterized by accuracy of up to [+ or -] 0.1 K and a short response time of 7 s for fast, easy measurement of a patient's body temperature. The disposable sensors are based on...

80 universal masterbatches kept in stock.(Innovations)
November 1, 2008... Based on a multipurpose compatible carrier system, OmniColor products can be used in a wide range of polymers at an average let-down ratio of just 100:1. This is four times less than the 25:1 ratio typical for other colorants. This low usage...

Abrasive blaster provides surface treatment solutions.(Innovations)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The AccuFlo abrasive blaster provides surface treatment solutions for the manufacture of medical parts. It is used to roughen the smooth surface finish on the threaded portion of dental implants. Roughening this area...

Connector offers secure contact retention.(Innovations)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This 0.25 mm pitch FPC connector saves up to 40% of space compared to similar 0.3 mm pitch connectors. Available from 21 to 39 circuits, the SMT ZIF (zero insertion force) connector includes spring features on the...

Miniature enclosures provided with wrist strap.(Innovations)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A range of Minitec miniature enclosures now includes wrist strap models. These highly attractive cases have been designed for small electronic devices that can be worn on the wrist. The models form part of an...

Power supply meets RoHS, EISA standards.(Innovations)
November 1, 2008... The GT-81085 series of fixed blade wall plug-in power supplies are offered in Class II, double-enforced insulation mechanical configurations. The regulated output voltage is 5 to 13.5 V up to 15 W of continuous power. The style enclosed power...

Temperature-stabilized device offers excellent wavelength.(Innovations)
November 1, 2008... This ColdRay laser is a temperature-stabilized device resulting in excellent wavelength, excellent power, and pointing stability, as well as a long lifetime. It is available in a wide range of wavelengths, ranging from 375 to 830 nm. This...

Changes in China.(PERSPECTIVES)(Company overview)
November 1, 2008... China has been the subject of much debate throughout the manufacturing industry as more companies have considered it an option for reducing costs. However, quality concerns and increasing economic factors have caused some to rethink this...

Handling the pressure.(Case in Point)
November 1, 2008... * The Project: Create a handle for a defibrillator durable enough to withstand exceptional performance requirements. * The Solution: Use computer-aided engineering and various flow simulation software to ensure that the final product met...

Micro-molding devices and components.(Design Talk: Molding)
November 1, 2008... As medical technology advances and the demands on surgical parts increase, the need for high-quality, tight-tolerance components continues to rise. With advancements in minimally invasive device designs, product engineers will continue to look...

Molding ceramic injection molding.(Design Talk: Molding)
November 1, 2008... For the medical device industry ceramic injection molding (CIM) can be an alternative to metals or plastics, especially when conditions demand a more advanced type of material. CIM allows for intricate shapes to be manufactured in medium to...

Medical device molding: a commitment, not a choice.(Design Talk: Molding)
November 1, 2008... With more and more jobs heading overseas, a growing number of molding companies have been changing their focus to medical device manufacturing. This can make sense; however, it is usually easier said than done. It requires significant capital...

Continuous-motion shrink wrappers offer speedy changeover.(Notables: Medical Packaging)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ever-Clean seal systems top a host of productivity innovations engineered into two continuous-motion shrink wrap machines. Designed to tame the temperamental shrink wrap process, the SW-2000 belt-infeed and SW-3000...

Fiber laser coders provide versatility.(Notables: Medical Packaging)
November 1, 2008... The 7210 and 7310 fiber laser coders are compact, fast, and highly reliable for direct parts marking and unique identification coding on a variety of hard-to-mark materials, including nearly any metal, ceramic, or plastic part. Both coders can...

Oxygen permeation analyzer is feature rich.(Notables: Medical Packaging)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The feature rich OX-TRAN Model 1/50--an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) analyzer--is designed for simple out-of-the box user installation and is packed with new technology. This includes an absolute coulometric...

Adhesive-backed envelopes keep documents and instruments handy.(Notables: Medical Packaging)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Janstrip pressure-sensitive envelopes are made from blended polyethylene and are ideally suited for keeping manuals, maintenance logs, and other important documents at hand. Unlike Ziploc style plastic-on-plastic...

Bar code label printer offers 1,200 dots per inch printing.(Notables: Medical Packaging)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The LX200 Label Printer utilizes the latest in monochrome high-speed inkier printing technology. With 1,200 dpi print resolution, the printer has almost six times as many dots per inch as most thermal transfer bar...

Concurrent engineering & outsourcing: ingredients for success.(Cover story)
November 1, 2008... Outsourcing using concurrent engineering practices provides the hands-on approach for a company that enables it to gain the most in efficiencies from manufacturing, it can be used by virtually any company of any size and applied to any medical...

Software solutions address changing industry needs.(Design Talk: Manufacturing Trends)
November 1, 2008... Medical device manufacturers operate in one of the world's most competitive and highly regulated industries where success hinges on time-to-market and traceability. Challenged daily to minimize costs while still ensuring product safety and...

Roadblocks to managing supplier quality in medical device manufacturing.(Design Talk: Manufacturing Trends)
November 1, 2008... In the medical device industry, designers continue to face unique challenges that stem from the broader manufacturing process. These can include anything from shorter product lifecycles and increased regulatory scrutiny to the need to source...

Where will lean take us?(Design Talk: Manufacturing Trends)
November 1, 2008... Medical device companies have achieved significant improvement using lean techniques. Improvements in quality, productivity, lead time, inventory, on-time delivery, and cost have been obtained and further improvement continues each day....

Switch mode power supply capacitors in a reduced form factor.(Current Report)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This stackable multilayer capacitor series features a significantly reduced footprint, increasing printed circuit board space. Offering high capacitance values with low ESR, the TurboCap MLCs (patent pending) are...

Single board computer offers mid-range computing power.(Current Report)
November 1, 2008... The Rhodeus offers mid-range computing power in a compact, low power consumption, and low cost PC/104 single board computer. It is an excellent choice for low cost/high volume applications with mid-range performance requirements, such as...

Contacts ensure reliable connections for implantables.(Current Report)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Bal Conn contact, which consists of a canted-coil spring retained in a metal housing, ensures uniform, reliable mechanical and electrical contact between the battery and lead in implantable devices. The compact,...

RoHS compliant Series includes pushbuttons, indicators, and switches.(Current Report)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Visual aesthetics are a key feature for the Rolls compliant Series 14 range of raised and flush mount pushbuttons, indicators, switches, selector switches, and key switches. Series 14 is available in 22.5 and 30.5 mm...

Improved thermal material are offered for die-cutting.(Current Report)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sarcon GR-Fd thermal interface gap filler pad is a unique gel-like material. It is manufactured with an integrated nylon mesh layer that prevents distortion and stretching during die-cut operations. The true-to-form...

Compliance testing and monitoring tools measure prohibitive metals.(Current Report)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A line of XRF tools is introduced for compliance testing and monitoring of prohibitive metals for the EU directives RoHS/WEEE for the circuit board and packaging electronics and plating industries. The benchtop XRF...

Fully shrouded headers help eliminate mismating.(Current Report)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fully shrouded post headers, available in two through 12 positions, have been added to the popular Economy Power (EP) connector family. Intended for secondary power circuit applications, the through-hole headers have...

Copper cable assemblies are alternative to fiber optic.(Current Report)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The GORE SFP+ copper cable assemblies offer a more reliable, efficient, and economical alternative to fiber optic modules for transmitting l0 Gbps data at distances up to 25 meters. The assemblies comply with the...

Multifunctional test system generates EFT, surge, PQT.(Current Report)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The multifunctional NSG 3040 test system generates electrical fast transient (EFT), surge, and power quality tests (PQT) and is fully compliant to the latest versions of IEC/EN 61000-4-4, -4-5, and -411, making the...

Keeping track of surgical instruments.(Device Sector Spotlight)
November 1, 2008... The Project: Effectively read a 2D Data Matrix barcode off surgical instruments that differ in terms of reflectivity and shade. The Solution: Use an ID reader that employs an innovative combination of lighting, software, and optics to...

Speed to market or FDA compliance? It must be both: medical device manufacturing companies don't have the luxury of being able to choose between either focusing on speed to market or FDA compliance. Rather, they must address both equally. Balancing product development effectiveness with regulatory compliance is yet another strategy on the road to success. This article provides tips on how this can best be accomplished.(Emphasis on Speed vs. Compliance)
November 1, 2008... Medical device organizations are navigating the challenging waters of regulatory compliance while simultaneously trying to keep their heads above the pace of innovation. Many leading companies in the last several years have been hit with an...

Sub-miniature manifolds for solenoid valves.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This series of sub-miniature manifolds is offered for the 10 and 15 mm solenoid valves. Their extremely small size allows for groupings of valves in very small spaces. These single-sided units are available with 2,...

Motors compatible with any three phase motor controller.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Due to their low profile, light weight and large through holes, ULT Series direct drive frameless motors are ideal for imaging, sensing, pointing, and scanning applications. Compatible with any three phase motor...

Actuator acts as both motor and diaphragm.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The proprietary RLP-125 actuator acts as both the motor and the diaphragm in liquid movement applications. The actuator may be embedded directly in a fluidic backplane to provide highly reliable pumping action with...

Torque sensor available with USB output option.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The TFF400 reaction torque sensor has a USB Digital Interface with 16 bits resolution. The sensors feature a Flange to Flange mounting solution with torque measurements ranging from [+ or -] 5 in.-oz to 500 in.-lbs...

Single-use stainless steel instruments replace plastic disposables.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Economical, single use stainless steel instruments are offered as an inexpensive real metal alternative to plastic disposables. Manufactured in high quality mirrored stainless steel, these kit components are...

Thermoplastic seals precision machined to close tolerances.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tiny 0.118" OD by 0.078 ID thermoplastic seals are precision machined to handle fluid high pressures. These custom parts are machined to close tolerances from virgin PEEK polymer barstock. Known for outstanding wear...

OEM servo motor controller has CANopen, CiA 402.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A CANopen option has been added to the company's OEM servo motor controller. CANopen may be configured for peer-to-peer, master, or slave. This allows the controllers to share I/O and registers with other CANopen...

Motorized linear slide series achieves high positioning response.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The RoHS compliant EZ Limo EZSII motorized linear slide series uses a step motor to achieve high positioning response without any missteps. The series consists of three sizes: EZS3, EZS4, and EZS6. The EZS3 and EZS4...

Chip fuse in a 1206 package rated up to 25 amps.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 1206 chip fuse offers rated current values up to 25 A. The slow-blow UST 1206 provides high melting I2t values for impressive inrush withstand performance. The chip fuse, with characteristics according to UL...

Bondable components make impossible fittings possible.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... Component designers no longer need be constrained by the limitations of injection molding tool design. The exact fitting, in the optimal layout for the process or product concept, is available with a line of Build-a-Part bondable components,...

Medically approved power supply meets 1U height constraints.(New Products)
November 1, 2008... The 180W TMPC-180-1U has a height of 1.59" that makes the PC power supply ideal for 1U and other applications where height is limited. The unit, which contains a 90-265 VAC full range input and active PFC, is approved by UL, cUL, and VDE to UL...

Value Plastics catalog contains detailed information on thousands of products and includes all new products recently introduced.(Design Notes)
November 1, 2008... Value Plastics catalog contains detailed information on thousands of products and includes all new products recently introduced. Additionally, it contains a wealth of technical information to assist users in selecting the best components for...

Omron Electronics LLC has released the 2008/09 Industrial Automation Product Catalog for North America.(Design Notes)
November 1, 2008... Omron Electronics LLC has released the 2008/09 Industrial Automation Product Catalog for North America. The catalog contains 800 pages with more than 4,800 products, including hundreds of new items. The catalog provides industrial automation...

Perfecseal, a global market leader in the medical device and pharmaceutical packaging industry, upgraded its website.(Design Notes)
November 1, 2008... Perfecseal, a global market leader in the medical device and pharmaceutical packaging industry, upgraded its website. Highlighted are the extensive technical capabilities which enable the company to support the global healthcare packaging...

Written in easy-to-read and -use format, this book updates and revises its bestselling predecessor to become the most complete, comprehensive resource on plastics testing.(Design Notes)
November 1, 2008... Written in easy-to-read and -use format, this book updates and revises its bestselling predecessor to become the most complete, comprehensive resource on plastics testing. This book has an emphasis on significance of test methods and...

Minco, a designer and manufacturer of critical components for critical applications, has a new flexible heaters prototype design kit that lets users easily test and prototype a heater concept before starting on a journey of custom-built-to-order product.(Design Notes)
November 1, 2008... Minco, a designer and manufacturer of critical components for critical applications, has a new flexible heaters prototype design kit that lets users easily test and prototype a heater concept before starting on a journey of...

Bosch Rexroth has compiled tips for solving daily problems in a lean operation.(Design Notes)
November 1, 2008... Bosch Rexroth has compiled tips for solving daily problems in a lean operation. These tips aim to help organizations solve the everyday problems that they face in order to sustain improvements achieved with lean implementations and prevent...

NewAge Industries Inc. offers nine new product catalogs featuring its plastic tubing, rubber hose, fittings, clamps, and custom services manufactured for a wide variety of industries and uses.(Design Notes)
November 1, 2008... NewAge Industries Inc. offers nine new product catalogs featuring its plastic tubing, rubber hose, fittings, clamps, and custom services manufactured for a wide variety of industries and uses. The new books are separated by material and product...

Boker's, Inc. offers its complementary 2009 Scheduling Calendar and Metric Conversion Chart is now available.(Design Notes)(Calendar)
November 1, 2008... Boker's, Inc. offers its complementary 2009 Scheduling Calendar and Metric Conversion Chart is now available. This handy calendar serves as an easy-to-use, one-page scheduling tool, with a convenient metric conversion reference on the opposite...

Manufacturing efficiencies ensure recovery speed.(Design Notes)
November 1, 2008... Mass production of parts usually involves injection molding along with significant time to market. But the time and development involved with injection molding proves prohibitive when only low-volume orders are placed, which is the case for...