Originally Published EMDM November 2005
PRODUCT UPDATE
Focus on suppliers of electronic products
Elan Digital Systems Ltd.
A multifunction bridge chip that offers a CompactFlash-to-USB interface enables medical products with a universal serial bus for interfacing with the host computer to be redesigned in PCMCIA/CF format for use in personal computers or personal digital assistants. The 64-QFN VMB5000 from Elan Digital Systems Ltd. (Fareham, Hants, UK) is a single-chip bridge that combines low power consumption with high speed and maximum design flexibility. Its 9 X 9 X 1-mm footprint leaves sufficient space on the card for the user’s application hardware.
Another distinctive feature of the bridge device is that it enables virtually unlimited amounts of flash memory to be installed on the CompactFlash card and to be accessed concurrently with data accessed through the serial or USB interface. The memory appears in the host device as a standard drive letter and may be used for storage of any kind of data; for example, cardiac or similar readings could be logged and stored independently of the host computer. In critical applications, it can be useful to have a backup store of information on the card in addition to that transferred to the PC.
Duraswitch Industries Inc.
A space-saving rotary switch is designed to be incorporated into medical devices of any size. The patented thiNcoder switch from Duraswitch Industries Inc. (Mesa, AZ, USA), unlike traditional rotary switches that require through-holes in the panel, can easily be integrated with push-button switches in a thin, sealed panel by means of a single flex circuit and connector. The switch requires fewer piece parts than conventional rotary technologies, minimizing cost and assembly time, and does not have to be soldered.
Featuring a package depth below the overlay of less than 0.085 in., the low-profile switch can simplify control panel design. It is rated at up to 500,000 rotations and provides high reliability with durability. Its inherently sealed circuits are protected from contamination by moisture or cleaning agents.
The thiNcoder technology offers even more design flexibility through customization options for all aspects of size, electronic output, detent, and stop locations. The manufacturer maintains a licensing programme for OEMs that enables the equipment makers to control production and costs and save the trouble of qualifying new vendors or paying extra middlemen.
Tecan Ltd.
Hybrid microstructures incorporating such variant elements as metals and polymers are developed by a photoelectroforming (PEF) specialist to provide cost-effective integrated devices of microscopic size, including gear wheels, coils, encoder discs, lenses, microfilters, and similar products, that function as stand-alone devices or as components of microsystems. Tecan Ltd. (Weymouth, Dorset, UK) produces PEF parts from single materials as well as custom integrated layers of different materials; any sort of combination is possible, and the structures can include electronic interconnects or microfluidic channels. Designers have the freedom to conceive innovative components based on a technique that ensures repeatable results for highly reliable products.
The PEF process offers the advantages of low production costs, short lead times, extremely fine tolerances, very good surface finishes, high precision, superior coplanarity, and sharp edge definition. Stress- and burr-free parts with various degrees of hardness within the part can be produced, as can components with multilevel stepped profiles. Batch fabrication is easy.
The company claims that the innovative manu-facturing process sacrifices none of the benefits of previously existing processes while assuring tight tolerances with maximum reproducibility, a prerequisite for successfully functioning microsystems. The use of polymers particularly makes possible the integration into microparts of new functionality and the combination of mechanical components with optoelectronic and microfluidic devices.
Bioconnect, Div. of RF Industries Inc.
A touchproof lead-wire set in a ribbon cable configuration is suitable for use in such biomedical applications as electroencephalography, electrocardiography, stress analysis, sleep studies, and neonatal system instruments. The manufacturer, Bioconnect (San Diego, CA, USA), a division of RF Industries Inc., offers the lead set in an unterminated configuration but provides services to complete the assembly in a variety of configurations per customer request.
The assembly is available in standard and custom versions, the standard configuration featuring a PVC overmoulded socket with a 360° conical segmented strain relief. The pin conforms to DIN 42-803 dimensional specifications. Standard assemblies incorporate 32-, 16-, 10-, 6-, or 4-conductor ribbon cable with standard 10-colour coding. Custom configurations come with the wire type, jacket material, and colour produced according to specification.
Both stamped and high-quality versions of the contacts are available. The contacts and the assembly conform to the specifications of IEC 60601-1 and AAMI.
NeuriCam S.p.A.
A company offers a set of user- and application-specific embedded imaging modules for biomedical applications. Systems recently developed by NeuriCam S.p.A. (Trento, Italy) in conjunction with customers include a laryngoscope and a software package for dermatological analysis.
The small battery-driven laryngoscope, or oral endoscope, consists of a sensor, vision processor, and colour thin-film-transistor display coupled via an optical block to a coherent optical fibre. A second optical fibre conveys the light generated by a white light–emitting diode within the instrument to the display in the observation area. The purpose of the instrument is to ease the intubation procedure prior to undertaking surgical operations.
Ampro Computers Inc.
A company headquartered in San Jose, CA, USA, has provided OEMs large and small with rugged, highly reliable, low-power-consuming single-board computers (SBCs) and input/output modules and has created such industry standards for off-the-shelf embedded SBCs and central processing unit (CPU) modules as PC/104, PC/104-Plus, and EBX. Ampro Computers Inc. offers manufacturers of medical equipment and other products a product life-cycle commitment of at least 5 years, allowing them to concentrate on their applications and proprietary technology. Its products and services meet conditions of the RoHS Directive; thus, customers will be able to integrate compliant SBCs into their end products prior to the European Union’s compliance deadline.
The computer maker has an extensive single-board computer and module line that consists of 12 ReadyBoard SBCs compatible with the EPIC standard, 7 PC/104 CPUs, 10 EBX-compatible LittleBoard SBCs, a Mini-ITX SBC, and 9 ETX modules. The ReadyBoard SBCs are rendered easier to use by means of the new ReadySystem Linux- or Windows-based revision-controlled embedded systems; those models with different performance capacities have common enclosures, I/O configurations, and peripheral circuits to facilitate upgrading. In addition, CoreModule products are available from the supplier. According to the firm, these SBCs have the world’s smallest SBC form factor yet include a full complement of PC functions, including disk controllers; serial, parallel, and universal serial bus ports; and, in most cases, video and Ethernet controllers.
Digital-Logic AG
A miniature embedded personal computer for medical image processing and other high-performance applications features an impressively large number of interfaces for its size and has no cooling fan. The Microspace-PC40 from embedded-computer specialist Digital-Logic AG (Luterbach, Switzerland) is based on a power-saving 1.4-GHz Pentium M 738 processor that offers performance comparable to that of a 2.8-GHZ Pentium 4. A dynamic central processing unit (CPU) clock adaptation to the application enables the computer to work with 600 MHz in the slowest mode, so that the entire system consumes 35 W typically.
The QXGA video controller integrated in the Intel-855GME chip set is DirectX 9 compatible for multimedia applications and offers a video memory of 64 Mbyte. The controller has two video outputs to feed a VGA and a DVI monitor with the same or different images. Computer memory of 512-Mbyte DDR RAM can be expanded to a maximum of 1 Gbyte.
This mini-PC features five high-speed universal serial bus V2.0 ports, a COM1 serial interface, an LPT1 parallel interface, two IEEE-1394 (Fire-Wire) interfaces, a local-area network (LAN) 100/10-BaseT port, three stereo sound outputs, an SPDif digital sound output with six channels, and one stereo input, plus a MiniPCI extension slot in which to plug LAN or other PCI extensions.
The computer has a rubber-cushioned hard disk to protect from vibration and can be operated at –20° to 50°C standard and –20° to 70°C in 600-MHz mode. Operated by 10–30-V power, it can be used in battery-powered systems.
Exacon Scientific a/s
A company specializes in the design and manufacture of medical temperature probes for integrated patient-monitoring systems and other temperature monitors used in operating theatres, intensive-care units, paediatric wards, and mobile medical units. Products for adults, infants, and neonates are available from Exacon Scientific a/s (Roskilde, Denmark), which organizes its programme of thermistor temperature probes and sensors according to measurement points and categories of patients.
The CE-marked thermistors tolerate all hospital disinfectants and accept sterilization by ethylene oxide, steam, and the Sterrad system. Made with ultrasoft and flexible silicone cables and no PVC or latex, the probes are well suited for OEM applications. The manufacturer will supply individual OEM designs upon request.
The O-series probes, also known as the Central series, are designed for central-body temperature measurement in the oesophagus and nasopharynx and also in the rectum. Models are available for neonates, larger children, and adults. S-type Surface-series probes are designed for measurements at the body surface, specifically, on the thorax, in the armpit, and along the extremities. Probes for neonates and children are made of solid stainless steel, while the version for adults consists of a solid-plastic housing with a thin stainless-steel disc.
Several models in the Rectal R-series probes are designed with a moderately rigid zone from the tip to 40 to 60 mm inside the cable. Other models come supplied with flanges that lock the device in the correct position so that restless or febrile patients will not dislodge it and cause a misreading.
Powervar
A series of power conditioners with worldwide safety agency listings is suitable for use with medical devices. Offered by Powervar (Shrivenham, Wilts, UK), GPI Series B devices employ an isolation transformer that allows the user to select from among 12 input voltages. These power conditioners are designed for hardwired installation and may be mounted in any orientation via the mounting holes provided.
The series is available in two versions. Units bearing the suffix -91BUI are designed for North American applications requiring 120-V power, while the -92BUI versions suit European and international applications requiring 240 V. Input voltage can be set to 100, 120, 208, or 240 V by the user. Five model sizes are offered, with volt-ampere ratings of 500 to 3000 VA.
CI Displays
Field-upgradable and OEM display backlighting systems based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) offer brightness control and operating lifetimes beyond the capabilities of the traditional cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) they are designed to replace. The specialist producer of these turnkey LED systems, CI Displays (Holbrook, NY, USA), offers them to equipment and device manufacturers who wish to reduce the cost of ownership of display applications while providing enhanced brightness control in cold and dim environments. The LED backlights provide full brightness at temperatures as low as –40°C and last an estimated 100,000 hours.
Direct and edge-lit LED backlight systems are offered. They can replace CCFLs in new and retrofit installations with identical form, fit, and function. The systems feature simple driving circuits and low-voltage compatibility and can dim to 0.5 nits without flicker. LED backlighting provides enhanced dim-to-bright response times and does not generate the interference in audio devices that other lighting systems, such as fluorescent inverters, can.
Copyright ©2005 European Medical Device Manufacturer
