A breakthrough in wireless power transmission to a cardiac device implanted 5 cm inside the chest was recently demonstrated by Stanford University, CA, researchers. The implant, housed in a cube of 0.8 mm radius, is powered by radio waves sent by an external transmitter. The high-frequency wireless power solution permits use of smaller coils in the receiving device and eliminates the need for surgeries to replace batteries. At an optimal frequency of 1.7 GHz, power transfer is 10x greater and the receive antenna can be 10x smaller compared with earlier designs.

For more on this subject, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter Wireless Technology.

Raytheon ELCAN Optical Technologies has designed and developed a multi-modal laser module assembly for industrial, machine vision, and medical applications. The module will be displayed at Booth 100.1 International Pavilion — Vision Stuttgart 6-8 November.

Schurter's TA35 circuit breaker is now offered with antibacterial cover for use in medical facilities and labs, food service facilities, and processing plants. Tested and confirmed to ISO 22196, the IP65 cover is particularly effective against Escherichia coli, staphylococcus aureus. 50 mA to 20 A. cURus and VDE approved.

Leyshon Miller Industries has extensive experience in medical devices, from design and engineering to manufacturing, rapid-turn tooling, prototyping/first parts, manufacturing, and assembly. We do your job quickly, whether it's building a simple prototype from your design or completing the entire design and manufacturing process of complex components. See case study.

Save your valuable time for your critical applications, not the equipment that cools them. Thermo Scientific ThermoFlex recirculating chillers allow you to cool your instrumentation and process applications quickly and easily.

Easy to install, easy to operate. Learn more...

Rock climbing is more enjoyable for this lower-leg amputee, now outfitted with a prosthetic designed by an engineer pal and fabricated by direct metal laser sintering. A Designfax article details the successful additive manufacturing effort, which produced a 5 lb commercial-grade titanium climbing prosthetic. The 40-hour process added one 20 micron layer of titanium powder at a time.

Mixed together, alginate and polyacrylamide polymers form one super-strong hydrogel. Biocompatible and self-healing, the material engineered at Harvard University stretches to 21x its original length. Its elasticity and durability under tension without breaking, showcased in this video, make the hydrogel a candidate for cartilage replacement.

The third generation of the beBionic prosthetic hand from RSL Steeper is redesigned with an aluminum chassis and a grip strength of 31.5 lbs, almost double that of its predecessor. Electronics amplify electrical signals in the user's skin into one of 14 grip patterns, and microprocessors monitor the position of each finger to provide precise hand movements.

This circuit breaker with thermal overload protection offers a feature specific to medical device designers: an antibacterial protective cover. Silver ions present in the cover material prevent growth of E. coli and other microorganisms. Medical Design notes availability in rated currents of 50 mA to 20 A and 1-, 2-, and 3-pole configurations.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to the GlobalSpec e-Newsletter, Electrical Components.

Over 27 years of experience Thermoforming high-tech films such as PEEK, FEP, ETFE, and Polyimide to produce ultra-thin walled components used in medical devices. Welch Fluorocarbon's components are installed directly inside implantable pacemakers and defibrillators, and are used as case liners for the batteries and capacitors that go inside these devices.

BAE Systems, formerly Fairchild Imaging, was a pioneer in digital X-ray imaging. In 1988 we developed our first intra-oral sensor, for dental X-ray imaging applications. Also during this time, we developed a unique way to remove the film from spot mammography machines and replace it with a digital imager.

Does that medical device prototype meet all end-user requirements? Will the assembly process be more complex than necessary? Along with the affordability and time compression of advanced prototyping technology comes the need to collaborate with customers, machinists, and procurement teams. Follow the five tips outlined in Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry for more cost-efficient prototyping.

Ultrasound waves as a drug delivery mechanism? A brief MIT video explains that applying one low- and one high-frequency beam painlessly removes the top layer of skin, effectively enhancing permeability for drug administration via transdermal patches. Skin permeability is increased for up to 24 hours for needle-free delivery of insulin, vaccines, and other therapeutics.

Flooring that can monitor fall-prone patients by tracking changes in walking patterns would be almost...magical. The wizardry underfoot at Manchester University, UK, is ascribed to carpet-embedded sensors and optical fibers that map 2D images of footprints for gait analysis. The Engineer cites the potential role for the smart carpet in warning of fall risks for elderly patients.

The power of the femtosecond laser has been harnessed to map and noninvasively destroy cancerous tumors. When a diseased region is diagnosed and targeted, laser intensity is increased to quickly irradiate the tumor. Discussed in this video, the diagnostic/therapeutic approach from the University of Tennessee Space Institute has no adverse impact on healthy tissue.

Pelonis Technologies' innovative cooling fans and heating products for medical applications provide powerful, energy-efficient solutions for large and small medical equipment manufacturers.

Select from a complete line of cross flow fans, backward curve impellers, mini fans and blowers, induction motors, and energy-efficient PTC ceramic heaters.

Does the thickness of your part affect its performance? Would knowing the topography of your device improve throughput? If you answered yes to either of those, it is time to test CHRocodile sensors. Small and fast, these non-contact optical sensors are designed with integration in mind.

Industry leading color and additive masterbatches for the medical industry. Our understanding of FDA requirements and our two clean compounding facilities, built specifically to support the medical and pharmaceutical industries, ensure products free from contamination and in any lot size. Call or e-mail Tim Workman today at tworkman@plasticscolor.com or 440-670-8802 to learn more.

Argos Corporation announces that their Quality Management System has been certified to meet the requirements of ISO 13485:2003 and ISO 9001:2008.

Argos Corporation manufactures custom extrusions at their Taunton, MA facility. Specialties include custom tubing, bump or taper tubing, co-extruded tubing, multi-lumen tubes, and secondary operations for most any application.

This International Standard applies to the basic safety and essential performance of medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems which are intended by their manufacturer for use in the home healthcare environment. Home healthcare environment medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems can also be intended for use in other environments, for example, in a professional healthcare facility.

For more information on IHS standards, visit us here.

This AAMI technical information report provides guidance for medical device manufacturers on designing, testing, and labeling reusable medical devices for reprocessing in health care facilities. Sterilization, disinfection, and decontamination considerations are covered, as are categories of medical devices and the materials and other design characteristics that affect the ability of health care personnel to clean, disinfect, and/or sterilize devices adequately.

For more information on IHS standards, visit us here.

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