Medical Equipment Designer articles from May 2001

Medical Equipment Designer archives from May 2001

Nothing But the Truth.
May 1, 2001... The greatest design engineer I never met graced the stage of The Mercury Theater in Chicago during NDES week in March. His thinking and writings were brought to life in the one-man spoken word, multi-media stage performance, "R. Buckminster...

In Memoriam.
May 1, 2001... Last Labor Day weekend, the missus and I flew to Los Angeles, land of our birth, for the funeral of my mother-in-law. A good and noble woman, the last of five siblings, she had lived into her nineties, always trying to bridge between her...

Getting Under Your Skin.
May 1, 2001... Adhesives for use on the human body present quite a challenge. Body chemistry, skin oils, even body heat vary between individuals. Adhesives must not only stick to the skin through a range of movement, but they must also do so without causing...

Saving Money--and Dialysis Patients.
May 1, 2001... Dip-molding curbs costs on limited production runs The average annual cost of treating dialysis patients runs around $8,500, almost half of which is incurred by treating high infection rates. Surface infections around catheterization sites...

Electromagnetic Simulation Cuts Cost of Protective MRI Enclosures.
May 1, 2001... Simulation of electromagnetic fields substantially reduced the cost of the protective shields surrounding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suites at Chicago Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Also, by using simulation as part of the design...

Born with a Splash.
May 1, 2001... Company overcomes thermoforming challenges to tap into nascent hydrotherapy delivery market With the current proliferation of delivery options available to couples desiring more mother/baby-centered care, birthing tubs are growing ever...

Fluoroelastomer compounds.
May 1, 2001... Fluoroelastomer compounds, at Plasticoid Booth 1668. This FDA-grade fluoroelastomer product line is designed to be resist to chemicals--including peracidic acid--while exhibiting good flex fatigue, electrical insulation and temperature...

Sterilization and enhancement.
May 1, 2001... Sterilization and enhancement, Booth 2644. This company's sterilization process uses electron beam irradiation to assure sterility. while cross-linking between molecules alters polymeric materials used in molded parts, tubing and woven and...

Adhesive dispensing.
May 1, 2001... Adhesive dispensing, Booth 1769. Designed to reliably and precisely dispense all adhesives packaged in 10- and 30-ml syringes, the pressure-time vacuum 98021 Syringe Dispense system operates in manual or automatic timed mode and can dispense...

Hydrophilic coatings & adhesives.
May 1, 2001... Hydrophilic coatings & adhesives, Booth 2815. The Arflow line of hydrophilic flow products are used in diagnostic devices and biotechnology applications, including customizable membrane-based diagnostic testing, electrochemical sensors,...

UV-cure adhesives.
May 1, 2001... UV-cure adhesives, Booth 2475. This company's 4LE2 is a solventfree epoxy-based ultraviolet curable adhesive designed for potting, sealing, bonding and encapsulating. It cures with low shrinkage to a transparent solid, The low viscosity...

Fiberoptic pressure sensor.
May 1, 2001... Fiberoptic pressure sensor, Booth 2067. Designed for invivo catheter physiological measurements, the Model FOP-M-055300 fiberoptic microelectrochemical systems' pressure sensor uses white light interferometric interrogation techniques to...

Latex alternatives.
May 1, 2001... Latex alternatives, Booth 1956. Monoprene thermoplastic elastomer films obtain the softness, drape and dry-to-the-touch feel of latex. Using such compounds avoids allergenic reactions of latex. They are also processable in conventional blown-...

Fluoropolymer and thermoplastic compounds.
May 1, 2001... Fluoropolymer and thermoplastic compounds, Booth 1867. This company has extended its range of materials to encompass both fluoropolymer and thermoplastics, specifically for the medical industry. Their equipment and technology is designed to...

Specialty materials.
May 1, 2001... Specialty materials, Booth 2114. This company offers a wide range of hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials which can be used in venting applications, wound healing and drug delivery, while providing a barrier to airborne microbial contaminants....

Medical grade silicone.
May 1, 2001... Booth 3020. This manufacturer provides custom silicone components and assemblies for medical device OEMs and, with expertise in virtually any silicone or silicone compound, provides material selection assistance. Complying with FDA...

Thermal adhesive curing.
May 1, 2001... Thermal adhesive curing, Booth 2144. The Novacure IR light spot curing system is designed to provide the precision, control and repeatability of thermal cure adhesives not possible with conventional batch curing. A halogen bulb focuses infrared...

Subcutaneous infusion.
May 1, 2001... Subcutaneous infusion, Booth 2313. The Comfort-Q subcutaneous infusion set features a bendable polyurethane cannula that improves patient comfort over conventional rigid metal cannulas. Designed for use with infusion pumps that require a...

Optical grade adhesives.
May 1, 2001... Optical grade adhesives, Booth 1575. Single-component 140-series medical optic adhesives produce high-strength, stress-free bonds with high clarity. Their low shrinkage and low out-gassing characteristics suit them to lenses and components...

Needleless valves.
May 1, 2001... Needleless valves, Booth 2934. This company will introduce swabbable needleless valves, designed with economy of manufacture in mind. Developed as substitutes for needle ports in IV applications, this line consists of slip luer valves, Y ports....

Low-noise cable.
May 1, 2001... Low-noise cable, Booth 2549. For solving EMI and RFI problems, this company specializes in custom cable that fights triboelectric noise. Certified ISO9001/EN46001, this vertically-integrated wire and cable company works with customer...

Surface engineering.
May 1, 2001... Surface engineering, Booth 3102. This company recently acquired a 2500+ liter microwave gas plasma system. The 6- x 6- x 3-ft chamber was installed for large par and high volume treatment of medical devices components. Low pressure gas plasma...

Wireless interface.
May 1, 2001... Wireless interface, Booth 2539. The Thin Instrument product concept uses Blue-tooth wireless networking and web-based technologies to provide a platform for both monitoring and control of multiple devices, including vital sign monitors, IV...

Membranes.
May 1, 2001... Membranes, Booth 2012. This company introduces Sure Vent trio of hydrophobic membranes for vent and barrier applications. These UPE membranes are composed of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. a thermoplastic that seals well to...

Acrylate dermat adhesive.
May 1, 2001... Acrylate dermat adhesive, Booth 3250. This company will introduce a breathable acrylate adhesive that exhibits an MVTR in excess of 1600 g/m2/day. Designed for wound care applications where prolonged wear time and good fluid transmission are...

Balloon inflator.
May 1, 2001... Balloon inflator, Booth 2374. For all balloon dilations from low pressure up to 30 bar, this inflation device features a locking mechanism that allows easy pressurization and quick release for smooth, rapid balloon deflation. The locking...

Motor-driver system.
May 1, 2001... Motor-driver system, Booth 2934. NEMA 17 high-torque M-drive 17 provides the simplicity of on-board electronics with-Out the expense of an indexer on each axis. The Motor+Driver uses a NEMA 17 frame size 1.8-degree motor mounted to a...

Dermal adhesive.
May 1, 2001... Dermal adhesive, Booth 2039. The extremely high MVTR of AD2000 adhesive allows the skin to breathe by letting moisture evaporate through the adhesive, preventing maceration. This medical grade adhesive is skin friendly.

Compressor & vacuum pump.
May 1, 2001... Compressor & vacuum pump, Booth 2670. Adding to this company's line of DC motor driven air compressors and vacuum pumps, DPO105 features a cup-seal design that enables it to attain a vacuum in excess of 10 in-Hg and a maximum pressure of 36...

High-temperature material.
May 1, 2001... With a temperature resistance up to 572[degrees]F, Sustatec PEEK polyetherether ketone material exhibits good mechanical strength and rigidity, and high impact and chemical resistance in high temperature conditions. The material is supplied in...

Compact servo-amplifiers.
May 1, 2001... A full line of compact PWM servo amplifiers can be used in such medical applications as pumps, fans and X-ray equipment. Thes amplifiers can be used with rotary or linear, brushed or brushless motors. Supply voltage ranges between 20 and 80 VDC...

Shuttered power outlets.
May 1, 2001... The shuttering feature of these outlets protects against shock from otherwise exposed contacts while preventing the ingress of dust and dirt into the unit. The plastic slides move similar to a camera shutter, allowing access to the contact pins...

Antibacterial coating.
May 1, 2001... Designed to prevent corrosion and bacteria growth, this Antibacterial Dry Nickel epoxy will either kill on contact or prevent the migration of various bacteria. The vacuum impregnation process is used to apply the coating seal voids caused by...

Acrylate dermal adhesive.
May 1, 2001... Acrylate dermal adhesive, Booth 3250. This company will introduce a breathable acrylate adhesive that exhibits an MVTR in excess of 1600 g/m2/day. Designed for wound care applications where prolonged wear time and good fluid transmission are...

[0] Motor-driver system.
May 1, 2001... Motor-driver system, Booth 2934. NEMA 17 high-torque M-drive 17 provides the simplicity of on-board electronics without the expense of an indexer on each axis. The Motor+Driver uses a NEMA 17 frame size 1.8-degree motor mounted to a...

Compressor & vacuum pump.
May 1, 2001... Compressor & vacuum pump, Booth 2670. Adding to this company's line of DC motor driven air compressors and vacuum pumps, DP0105 features a cup-seal design that enables it to attain a vacuum in excess of 10 in-Hg and a maximum pressure of 36...

Oil-free vacuum pump.
May 1, 2001... Oil-free vacuum pump, Booth 1850 For dry oil-free vacuum pumping, these units combine a structured diaphragm and high-speed check technologics with electronically-commutated DC (BLDC) motors to provide compact performance and efficiency. The...

Luer lock.
May 1, 2001... Luer lock, Booth 1802. ModuLUER fittings and valves have a rotating lock that simplifies joining luer and threaded fittings. It is available in various sizes and configurations. Designed to solve problems encountered when luer threaded...

Guidewire.
May 1, 2001... Guidewire, Booth 2013. Less likely to kink than competitive stainless steel wires, Kink Resistance Predicate 11 guidewires feature design parameters and stringent manufacturing processes to improve kink resistance in both the working distal...

DIN connectors.
May 1, 2001... DIN connectors, Booth 2249. This company will introduce its line of Circular DIN connectors. These inline, right-angle and panelmount plugs and receptacles are IP rated and fully shielded. 10 different pin configurations are available, ran-...

Biopsy channels.
May 1, 2001... Biopsy channels, Booth 2726. This company introduces a line of replacement biopsy channels for endoscopes. Several standard sizes are available ranging from 2.0 to 5.2mm ID, and custom sizes are also offered. Channels are constructed with a...

Guidewire coatings.
May 1, 2001... Guidewire coatings, Booth 1674. This company introduces Advanced Guidewire Lubricity for stainless steel and nitinol wires. The hydrophilic coatings are applied to a polymer-priming layer using a PhotoLink photoactivation process to ensure...

Tubing and suture material.
May 1, 2001... Tubing and suture material, Booth 2714. This line of ePTFE tubing and suture material is characterized by a soft; flexible, microporous structure designed for implantable applications. Customization of tubing dimensions, including multi-lumen...

Check valves.
May 1, 2001... Check valves, Booth 1780. This company introduces a line of low-pressure and low-flow plastic check valves. Model 170 cartridge check valves offer an increased flow capacity of 8 gpm and incorporates a low-inertia poppet design with double...

Finishing.
May 1, 2001... Finishing, Booth 2727. This company provides deburring. deflashing and finishing services. They will be exhibiting "before and after" examples at the show. Capabilities include cryogenic defashing. thermal deburring. vibratory deburring....

Packaging.
May 1, 2001... Packaging, Booth 1822. For thermoform fill-seal-and-pouching applications, low-basis-weight Tyvek coated with a heat-seal adhesive provides an economical alternative. The blue-tinted 10MP adhesive facilitates in-line visual verification of...

Rapid prototyping.
May 1, 2001... This company has accelerated prototyping capabilities for making custom thermoplastic components. The on-site facilities allow engineers to produce. test and validate the prototypes in a fully accredited lab. In-house testing includes leak,...

Tubing pumps.
May 1, 2001... This company offers Ismatec tubing pumps and programmable drives. With seven pumping series, these pumps feature multi-channel pump systems up to 40 channels, interchangeable pump heads and tube beds, and flow rates from 0.001 mL/min to 13...

Vacuum filters.
May 1, 2001... Designed for critical applications involving the removal of bacterial and other contamination from the suction side of vacuum pumps, these high-efficiency filters prevent infection of the pump and the atmosphere. With pipe sizes from 1/2- to...

Centrifuge vials.
May 1, 2001... Conical Centrifuge Vials perform well in highspeed centrifuge applications and cost less than other high-end vials. The vials are tested to 16G. They are available in 0.5, 1.5 and 2mL volumes. Manufactured from PFA Teflon, these vials are...

Spring seals.
May 1, 2001... Metal spring-energized MSE seals are designed to replace elastomeric seals. The energized spring within a plastic jacket resists compression set, with long-term shelf life, low- and high-pressure seal performance, improved frictional properties...

Spacer fabrics.
May 1, 2001... To replace neoprene, [D.sup.3] is a 3-dimensional knit with up to three layers, taking advantage of the best qualities of each fiber. Depending on fibers selected, [D.sup.3] can be fleeced on one side, cushioned in the middle and water...

Interactive Prototyping Overhauls Design Process.
May 1, 2001... Restructuring development propelled company from zero-percent to market leader within 18 months At many companies, traditional development processes L. entail combining artists' renderings with hardware mock-ups of the product, then...

Blind-fit Bellows Couplings.
May 1, 2001... Linking motion with less frustration Designing a coupling component into a motion system should be fairly simple. You take into account parameters like rotational speed, what sort of radius of turn (or radii of offset) is expected, shaft...

John Hopkins University.
May 1, 2001... Dipping a chunk of gold and silver alloy into an appropriate acid dissolves the silver away, leaving behind a form of gold with a surface filled with near-atomic size pores and voids. The spongelike structure of dealloyed gold has puzzled...

Pavilion Technologies.
May 1, 2001... The Department of Energy recently awarded a grant to Pavilion Technologies, Austin, TX, for working with Stanford University's Linear Accelerator Center to upgrade controls on the system. The joint project's first goal is to define requirements...

Solenoid Withstands Aggressive Chemicals.
May 1, 2001... A cost-cutting solenoid coil relies on a high-performance polyamide and thermoplastic encapsulation technology to stand up to the very demanding environment of an inert isolation valve used in laboratory, industrial equipment and...

High density connector.
May 1, 2001... For interconnecting flexible printed circuits (FPC) and/or flat flexible cables (FFC), the Circuit Aligning Restraining Connecting Locking (CARL) Connector features a clamp pressure system that creates a reliable, gas-tight connection. Unlike...

High temperature masking tape.
May 1, 2001... Designed to protect circuit boards from damage caused by harsh chemicals during the plating and stripping of gold finger contacts and other chemical processing steps, Scapa58l withstands temperatures up to 350[degrees]F.

Resin adhesives.
May 1, 2001... The Adekit family of adhesives includes epoxy for structural bonding, polyurethane for flexible bonding, and methacrylate resins and composite materials for combining flexibility with mechanical resistance.

Adhesive and sealant.
May 1, 2001... For sealing exhaust ducts against corrosive chemicals and high heat, Resbond 907GF 2300[degrees]F cures in 4-12 hours to form a hard ceramic resistant to chemicals, solvents, electricity, and oxidizing and reducing atmospheres.

Compact PCI components.
May 1, 2001... The cPCI2000 Universal Snapin Card Guides are compliant to IEEE 1101.10 and PLCMG 2.0 CompactPCI specifications. The 150mm cPCI-2000 guide is the first in a family of cPCI components and accessories.

Fasteners.
May 1, 2001... To eliminate tedious spinning ZipNut quick-change fastening products have Push-on-Threads which allow them to slide into place. A ratchet-like internal mechanism provides positive holding, force. Once snugged down by hand, final torque is...

Ceramic adhesive.
May 1, 2001... Ceramabond 569 is a single part, ceramicfilled paste that bonds to both ceramic and metal substrates, with minimal shrinkage, good mechanical strength, and moisture and thermal shock resistance.

Self-tapping selfaligning screws.
May 1, 2001... For electronic circuit boards, these miniature screws have a 0-40 thread size. The slotted head is O.125-in. dia. by 0.045-in. thick. Thread length is 0.20 in., with a 60 degree gimlet point.

Self-locking plug.
May 1, 2001... For use in temperatures ranging from cryogenic to over 1000[degrees]F, FlexThread provides consistent locking torque up to 100 cycles of reuse. The configuration of the nickel-alloy locking element is highly flexible, floating and...

Transistor insulators.
May 1, 2001... These insulators are designed to separate the mounting screw from the transistor. Parts are molded in Nylon 6/6 material and can be ordered in black glassified nylon upon request.

Single component adhesive.
May 1, 2001... Designed for bonding, sealing, impregnation and coating applications, the low viscosity, one-component epoxy resin EP19HT cures readily above 350[degrees]F and has a shelf life up to 3 months.

Electrical insulation tubing.
May 1, 2001... This company provides custom small diameter, spiral-wound electrical insulation tubing made from paper, resin, impregnated paper, heat shrinkable and non-shrinkable plastic films, and extruded plastic. Tube diameter sizes range from 0.026- to...

Cable-tie holders.
May 1, 2001... The PEM TY-D Mount self-clinching cable-tie holders are designed to provide secure attachment points for mounting wires to electronic chassis or enclosures without the problems associated with traditional mounting methods.

Polyurethane adhesive.
May 1, 2001... Combining flowable viscosity that facilitates application with good sag resistance that inhibits run-out, Arathane AW 8680/HW 8685 polyurethane is flexible and impact resistant at temperatures down to -40[degrees]F and prevents read-through.

Mechanical tensioner.
May 1, 2001... This 22-in. thread, 34-in, dia. OD mechanical tensioner creates over 6 million lbs of bolt tension. The tensioner eliminates the long tedious process of heating the tie-rods to pre-load them, saving days in installation time, cost and size over...

Microswitch handle.
May 1, 2001... Designed for high-density packaging needs in the telecommunications market, the Schroff Compact-PCI injector/extractor handle has a depth of. 0.55 in.--two-thirds less than the standard 1.5-in, deep IEEE 1101.10 handles--to increase useable...

Vibration control pads.
May 1, 2001... Standard and custom vibration control pads are offered in various sizes. They can also be integrated into a wide range of machine mounts for all types of equipment.

Knobs and handles.
May 1, 2001... These black plastic knobs are either made from thermoplastic or with a cushion grip material for added comfort and durability. Both have a textured non-slip, non-glare finish, with a molded-in brass insert for superior thread strength.

Lever.
May 1, 2001... Designed as a replacement for jacking screws and traditiona! panel fasteners, the built-in lever-assisted mechanism on this Ejector Lever easily ejects and injects modules with connector pins. Its 5:1 mechanical advantage provides the force...

Clamps for safety harnesses.
May 1, 2001... Bridge and building construction workers walking structural steel beams. use portable harnesses to prevent dangerous falls. Safe Approach, Auburn, ME, provides a movable, adjustable safety device that attaches to the flanges of I-beams to...

By-Wire Technology Creates New Car Concept.
May 1, 2001... A car concept that uses by-wire technology to operate steering, accelerator, brake, gear change and clutch systems was unveiled at the March 2001 Geneva Motor Show. Developed by SKF, Goteberg, Sweden, and Italian car manufacturer Bertone, the...

Plastic tubing and molded parts.
May 1, 2001... These lower-cost, process-enhanced tubing and parts achieve high thermal stability and stress cracking resistance for automotive under-the-hood applications. The company treats plastic tubing and molded components using an environmentally...

Hose assemblies.
May 1, 2001... This company offers custom fabricated high purity braided stainless steel hose assemblies featuring Teflon or stainless steel internals and a selection of end fittings for cryogenic, vacuum, semiconductor and clean room applications.

Fittings.
May 1, 2001... PURELOC molded compression fittings are easy to disconnect and reuse. Precisioned to exacting tolerances from chemically-inert PFA, they are used in medical, pharmaceutical, semiconductor and other industries.

Non-spill couplings.
May 1, 2001... ChemQuik CQN08 Series quick disconnect couplings are designed for high flow, ultra-pure aggressive chemical fluid applications. They feature a non-spill design that allows safe, instant tine disconnects and a metal-free. spring-free flow path.

Formed elbow tubing.
May 1, 2001... This tubing provides a convenient alternative to right-angle fittings. One simply cuts the ends of the tubing to the required length on each side of the elbow and installs with applicable fittings.

Clear PVC tubing.
May 1, 2001... Made from non-toxic ingredients that conform to FDA, 3A and USDA standards, Nelco's NewAge Clear fib PVC Tubing features glass-like clarity, a mirror-smooth surface to provide superior flow characteristics.