PRODUCT UPDATE
Pfeiffer
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The latest product from a manufacturer of pharmaceutical spray and dispensing systems is a modular pump system developed as an open platform and suitable for spraying both preserved and unpreserved solutions. The Cartridge system is available from Pfeiffer (Radolfzell, Germany), a company whose complete product range covers mechanical and electronic devices for multidose and unit-dose applications in nasal, oral, and topical drug administration. The manufacturer backs its systems with a comprehensive support service that includes standardized filling procedures and regulatory affairs assistance.
All of the firm’s products are manufactured in Europe and meet the guidelines of the good manufacturing practices standard ISO 15378. The company is committed to patient safety in all of its designs. Flexibility and customization are also paramount considerations. The product range has grown and broadened during 30 years of steady innovation.
Sirai Elettromeccanica S.r.l.
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Four ranges of solenoid valves are available for incorporation into medical and dental equipment, laboratory analyzers, and industrial process systems. They are manufactured and supplied worldwide by Sirai Elettromeccanica S.r.l. (Bussero, MI, Italy) and include the L series of general-purpose valves along with series of pinch, total isolation, and micro solenoid valves, respectively.
Suitable for a wide variety of industrial applications, strong, reliable L-series valves serve to control nonaggressive fluids, gases as well as liquids. The pinch-type valves allow fluid to flow in either direction at high rates, without turbulence or dead spaces. These characteristics, along with the fact that its tubes are easy to install and replace, make this series well suited for numerous applications involving the control of medical, physiological, and food fluids.
Dry-series total isolation solenoid valves are the choice most indicated for medical device applications, including dialysis equipment and biomedical analyzers. All of their wetted internal parts are constructed from special materials that will not contaminate fluids passing through. Finally, the micro valves are designed to provide a balance between miniaturization and reliability. Appropriate for dental and laboratory equipment applications, they can be disassembled for cleaning and maintenance despite their small size.
NGT Specialty Valves
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A nonferrous pilot-operated check valve has been introduced for applications in which magnetic interference cannot be tolerated. NGT Specialty Valves (Elm Grove, WI, USA) suggests its installation in magnetic resonance imaging machines, the application for which the company modified a stock valve to suit the purpose. It replaced the ferrous materials in the original valve with high-strength materials that would not affect the magnetic imaging process.
The valve’s bubbletight feature helps to maintain position without drift, and a manual release enables an operator to release trapped air. Valves in stock sizes have 1¼-, 1¼-, or 3¼-in. NPTF ports with manual and flush manual release options. Flow controls are available on the 1¼- and 3¼-in. models. Direct-mount models can be bolted directly to a cylinder or manifold.
The manufacturer offers a line of load-locking valves, pneumatic counterbalances, and specialty valves designed to maintain a position whenever there is a sudden loss or reduction of air pressure in the positioning system. They are also suited for applications where drifting is unacceptable.
Nitto Kohki Europe Company, Inc.
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A line of pumps for the medical equipment manufacturer are distinguished by having no moving parts so that they can operate over long lifetimes even when pumping corrosive materials. Generating flow by using a bimorph, Bimor pumps from Nitto Kohki Europe Company, Inc. (Watford, Herts, UK), can be used in place of any heavier, noisier, less durable traditional pump that circulates air, gases, or liquids. A bimorph consists of two parallel piezoelectric wafers that expand and contract in line with the sine wave on the supply voltage.
The company claims that pumps in this series run on extremely low current, emit virtually no electromagnetic field, and generate no vibration, no noise, and no fluctuations in flow owing to the absence of motors, shafts, and other intricate mechanisms in their design. Depending on the model, the devices can pump detergents, hydrochloric and sulphuric acids, alkaline substances, and solvents. The 230-V version typically runs at 14 mA and provides a flow rate of 250 ml/min with a maximum outlet pressure of 350 mbar. The 100-V version offers flows up to 660 ml/min at the same top outlet pressure.
Hiblow Europe
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A line of linear air pumps is based on electromagnetic diaphragm technology that is applied to create highly durable pumps that use power efficiently and generate low noise in a variety of technical applications. Offered by Hiblow Europe (Paris), a member of the Japanese Techno Takatsuki Group that originally developed the technology and launched the series in 1967, the pumps provide the rugged reliability and power efficiency that manufacturers of continuous-use medical and industrial equipment seek. A new variation of the technology, which has resulted from the manufacturer’s constant technical development efforts, is manifested in the MP-series pump. This double-stage electromagnetic-diaphragm vacuum pump exhibits performance characteristics that compare favourably with those of rotary-vane, rocking-piston, and standard diaphragm vacuum pumps while consuming less power, generating little noise, and offering higher efficiency.
Fluid Metering Inc.
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A stand-alone industrial dispensing system is available to provide precision doses of fluids in production and process environments, including medical device assembly applications. The IDS2000 dispenser from Fluid Metering Inc. (Syosset, NY, USA) consists of the manufacturer’s patented valveless ceramic piston pump directly coupled to a precision stepper motor. The stepper motor and stepper driver electronics are housed in a rugged, splashproof stainless-steel enclosure. The unit dispenses solvents, lubricants, cleaning agents, flux, and adhesives in volumes ranging from 7 ml down to 2 µl.
The dispenser is supplied complete with a power supply, a foot switch, and the Quick Run Module. Integrally mounted on the dispenser, this last item provides a ready-to-use interface that accepts a signal from a foot switch or an external relay to activate the dispensing cycle.
Bartels Mikrotechnik GmbH
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A micropump developed a few years ago as a low-cost space-saving product that could pump both gases and liquids with high pumping dynamics has been adapted to meet the application-specific requirements of the medical technology market. The mp5 micropump from Bartels Mikrotechnik GmbH (Dortmund, Germany) is a piezo-driven membrane pump with a flow-rate range of 50 nl to 5 ml per minute and a size of 14 × 14 × 3.5 mm. Its small dimensions, cost structure, and low power consumption make the device well suited for portable or disposable medical device systems.
Further development of this economical micropump technology has resulted in a stroke-limited pump for high-precision throughput at low flow rates and a cascaded system of multiple pumps set up in order to achieve higher flow rates or to avoid pulsation. Current development efforts involve the design and realization of a controlled-loop system for medical device applications. Potential application areas are drug delivery, point-of-care diagnostics, and, in combination with a sensor, air quality control for asthma sufferers.
