Originally Published September 2000
SHOWSTOPPERS
A selection of innovative new products and services exhibited at Hôpital Expo (Paris), Analytica (München), Technishow (Utrecht, Netherlands), and Medical Design & Manufacturing East (New York City).
Motion control components
System combines multiple massage movements
A massage system designed for integration with therapeutic equipment performs stroking, tapping, kneading, and vibratory movements. A foot massager is optional, and the unit can perform two movements simultaneously. The product was presented to OEMs at Hôpital Expo in Paris.
"We looked at the best available massage systems and combined their features into one unit," says Ulrich Ahrend, sales director at Dewert Antriebs- und Systemtechnik GmbH & Co. KG (Kirchlengern, Germany). In particular, notes Ahrend, "the mechanism is very stable and it produces no load on the motor," resulting in a long and trouble-free service life. In addition, the assembly was designed to facilitate motor changeovers. "You simply remove the seat back and disconnect the motor," he explains.
User-friendly features include dual memory functions, allowing two distinct massage pattern and area configurations to be stored. But the most prominent feature of the system, stresses Ahrend, is the range of movements it can perform. "This system offers so much more than the simple up and down linear motion of most competing products."
Laboratory equipment
Incubator ensures stable culture conditions
Designed for high-throughput drug-screening applications, an automated CO2 incubator maintains a stable chamber atmosphere during sample loading and unloading. The Heraeus Cytomat 6000, which had its debut at the Analytica show in München, loads and unloads microplates through a small aperture in its rear wall. The small size of the aperture ensures that culture conditions always remain constant. "The unit's single point of entry and exit helps maintain perfect environmental conditions," says Stefan Betz, product manager at Kendro Laboratory Products (Hanau, Germany).
The Cytomat 6000 accommodates 189 microplates in a carousel-type magazine. The unit's precise, repeatable microplate transfer position enables easy integration with laboratory robotic systems. A microprocessor-based measurement and control system automates CO2 control and maintains set temperatures from 5°C above ambient to 50°C. The microplate transfer process is also fully automatic, as is the loading of microplates into defined positions in the carousel. A conventional front door provides access for manual loading, cleaning, and maintenance.
The incubator is available with an external cooling thermostat or with built-in refrigeration. A range of options includes O2 control, linear carousel shaking, central monitoring of up to 10 units via a modem, and bar code scanning.
Materials
Acrylic compound withstands alcohol and lipids
Developed for device applications that require a high level of chemical resistance, an acrylic-based multipolymer compound reportedly offers better alcohol and lipid resistance than polycarbonate, and exhibits improved alcohol resistance compared with other acrylic materials. Cyro Industries (Rockaway, NJ, USA) launched the product at the recent Medical Design & Manufacturing East show in New York City. It is distributed in Europe through Rohm GmbH (Darmstadt, Germany).
"This is the first alcohol-resistant acrylic," says Stephen Magaziner, business manager, modified acrylics and alloys. "Cyrolite Med is suited for use with components that may be wiped down with alcohol and where there is concern about the fittings where two parts mate," he adds. Typical medical applications of the material include filter housings, luers, IV connectors and accessories, spikes, y sites, check valves, pumps, catheter adapters, and caps and funnels for blood filters.
Magaziner adds that Cyrolite Med shows no deterioration following sterilization at typical gamma or E-beam radiation levels; it also withstands EtO sterilization.
The company also launched a static-dissipative acrylic multipolymer compound at the show. Developed for injection moulding applications and available in pellet form, ClearStat C-37 provides permanent electrostatic-discharge protection for electronic parts. Medical applications of the product, according to Magaziner, include devices in which a static charge affecting airflow may be a concern.
Motion control components
Hospital bed actuators incorporate new electronics
The control unit of a linear actuator typically used in hospital beds incorporates new electronics that enable system architectures using up to four actuators. In compliance with IP 66 and EN 60601-1, the CAFM Evolution II control unit was exhibited by SKF Actuators Business (Chambery, France) at Hôpital Expo in Paris.
"Safety devices and limit switches are built into each system to ensure the security of patients and healthcare providers," says Christophe Clavé, director of the company's French division. The control unit has undergone testing in excess of 100,000 cycles, he notes, and the electronic components have been designed and mounted to resist shock and vibration. In addition, a microcontroller with an electronic current limiter detects and records overcurrent occurrences and immediately stops the actuator when it exceeds preset values. An optional integrated battery and charger are available as backup units to bring the bed back to a prone position in the event of a power failure.
Metal fabrication services
Investment casting suited for complex, tight-tolerance metal implants
Femoral, knee, and hip implants, tibial trays, acetabular cups, and humeral stems, as well as surgical instruments and staples, are manufactured from a wide selection of medical-grade metals and alloys. ATS Stellite S.A. (Ales, France) draws on its expertise as a supplier to the aerospace industry to reduce production time and costs, according to sales manager Guy Meyer. The company promoted its capabilities at Hôpital Expo in Paris.
"We have developed a fabrication technology for semifinished femoral implants that eliminates the necessity for additional machining, thus reducing costs for the customer," says Meyer. The implants are cast with threaded inserts that enable OEMs and surgeons to adapt the product to their particular needs without resorting to secondary machining operations.
ATS Stellite S.A. routinely processes a range of metals and alloys, including stainless steel and cobalt-chrome-molybdenum materials. All castings comply with relevant international, national, and customer-specified standards, and the company's quality systems are certified to ISO 9002.
"We also provide a full range of services to assist in component design," adds Meyer, noting that the company has expertise in CAD and rapid prototyping. Staff engineers can offer advice on selecting the most cost-effective casting method for a given application.
Cleanroom equipment
Rolling doors answer needs of sensitive applications
Cleanroom doors can be supplied with US FDA-approved antistatic sheets. The SRT model doors from Efaflex GmbH & Co. KG (Bruckberg, Germany) combine small size with a rapid opening and closing rate of 1.5 m/sec. Phased speeds can also be programmed using PC-controlled parameters. The doors are microprocessor controlled with built-in safety features to prevent accidental closure, and a manual override function is included in case of power outages.
Company spokesman Ton van der Tol says, "Every customer has a different requirement. We try to meet a range of needs." Two-door systems can be configured to prevent contamination in sensitive areas. The SRT doors, which were displayed at the Technishow in Utrecht, Netherlands, can be supplied in stainless steel for applications involving aggressive environments. The company also offers a transparent, durable acrylic door for high-vacuum applications.
Reported By Norbert Sparrow and Benjamin Lichtman
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