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European Industry News

Trixell to Fabricate Flat-Panel Digital Detectors for OEMs

'This has been a watershed year for flat-panel detectors," says Jean Chabbal, managing director of Trixell S.A.S. (Moirans, France). "In 1997, it became patently obvious that the future of radiology was firmly with flat panels and digital technology." Trixell, not coincidentally, plans to be on the cusp of that technological wave. A joint venture of Thomson Tubes Electroniques (Meudon-la-Forêt, France), Siemens AG Medical Engineering Group (Erlangen, Germany), and Philips Medical Systems B.V. (Best, Netherlands), Trixell will begin producing flat-panel detectors within the next couple of months, according to Chabbal.

The detectors are based on amorphous silicon technology, which enables the collection of x-rays and their conversion into digital data. The x-rays are transformed into visible light by a scintillator layer of cesium iodide, whose fibre-optic-like structure produces high resolution and a high absorption coefficient. The scintillator is coupled to amorphous hydrogenated silicon (aSi:H) photodiodes, which convert the light into digital data. The light striking each photodiode generates a current, which is subsequently transferred to an external drive via a matrix of aSi:H switching devices. The data are processed by the panel's readout electronics and can then be sent to a workstation or PACS. The first application of the system, according to the company, will be in static radiographic imaging; detectors suitable for dynamic applications such as fluoroscopy are said to be forthcoming.

Thomson, which has a 51% stake in the company with Siemens and Philips splitting the remaining shares, began working on amorphous silicon digital technology in the mid-1980s. Not only did the partnership with Siemens, which joined the project in 1991, and Philips, which came on board in 1995, reduce costs and increase efficiency during the product development phase, it will continue to pay dividends when full-scale fabrication starts. Siemens and Philips control 50% of the European market for imaging equipment, and Trixell will be their supplier of flat-panel detectors. "That gives Trixell a good client base to start with," acknowledges Chabbal. "But don't forget that our strategy is to serve the needs of OEMs worldwide," he stresses, hinting that this is what may give Trixell the edge over competitors—such as General Electric and EG&G Sensors—that have developed a similar technology. "EG&G is bound by a contract of exclusivity, and we are not."

Digital imaging represents enormous potential advantages for both health-care providers and their patients. Readouts can be generated instantly and electronically transmitted to remote locations, thereby facilitating the growth of telemedicine, and they have a wider dynamic range than conventional film systems. In addition, storage of digital x-ray images requires a fraction of the space used for film and they can be easily collated with a patient's medical records. Ultimately, the technology will save hospitals money because they will be able to use a single technology for all of their x-ray capture procedures regardless of the type of application.

Trixell's fabrication unit is currently under construction at Moirans, near Grenoble, and manufacturing operations are scheduled to be up and running by January. Delivery of the detectors to OEMs should begin by the middle of the year, according to Chabbal.

For more information, contact Trixell S.A.S., 460 rue du Pommarin, Z.I. Centr'Alp, F-38430 Moirans, France; phone: +33 476 574000; fax: +33 476 567360.

Thermoplastic Specified for
Reusable Petri Dish

Engineering thermoplastics have replaced steel, aluminium, and glass in a variety of single-use applications in medical engineering, but they have not enjoyed the same success where reusables are concerned because few plastic parts can withstand more than a handful of sterilization cycles. One polymer that can be subjected to several cycles of hot-air, steam, EtO, or gamma radiation without experiencing a loss of key properties is Ultem from GE Plastics (Bergen Op Zoom, Netherlands). Bio-Lab GmbH (Neumünster, Germany) recently introduced a reusable petri dish fabricated from this material that, says the company, could change the way clinical culture dishes are used around the world.

The Re-Petri dish is described by the company as a lightweight and cost-effective alternative to traditional glass or disposable polystyrene versions. According to the firm, it is expected to have significant impact among international health organizations, particularly those operating in developing countries. The lightweight dishes are very robust and can withstand extreme storage temperatures as well as rough handling in the laboratory. Because the dishes can be sterilized and reused up to 200 times, they can generate considerable cost savings.

Ultem has been specified for a number of other medical applications, including syringes, sterilization trays, and surgical instruments. Not only does the USP Class VI–compliant material meet the most stringent health and safety regulations, it also has aesthetic properties, notes Françoise de Bie, marketing manager for GE Plastics European Medical Applications Business. "The material maintains its as-moulded high-gloss or matte finish over a long service life. Moulded-in colour," she adds, "provides a cost-efficient means of functional part identification and enhancement of the clinical environment."

The material is available in low-viscosity versions that offer high melt-flow rates, making it suitable for complex and thin-walled mouldings. The resin can be processed using standard equipment.

For additional information on Ultem polyetherimide resins, contact GE Plastics, 1 Plastislaan, P.O. Box 117, NL 4600 AC, Netherlands; phone: +31 164 292622; fax: +31 164 291392.

Bayer Introduces Materials Selection on the World Wide Web

The Polymers Division of Bayer Corp. (Pittsburgh, PA, USA), a member of the worldwide Bayer Group headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany, is now on the Internet at http://www.plastics.bayer.com/english/home.html. One aspect of the site that will be of particular interest to designers and plastics processors is a materials selection feature that allows users to match available resins with specific applications.

The information can be accessed from either a market- or a product-driven approach. Regardless of the chosen path, the user is led through a series of screens to product information or a property data sheet on specific resin grades. In the markets path, users select a market, an application, and a part from a menu of options. After menu items are chosen on the three screens, a list of potentially suitable materials is displayed. In the products path, users can click on a Bayer product to receive grade listings and a property data sheet on the selected grade or, in the case of film and polyurethane processing equipment, a description of the product.

The Web site is unique within the plastics industry, according to H. Lee Noble, executive vice president of Bayer Corp. and president of the Polymers Division, because it presents Bayer's materials from the customer's point of view. "Many commercial sites on the Web tend only to present goods or services from the producer's perspective and presume the site visitor knows the product he or she is looking for," says Noble. "We wanted to make it easy for customers to see which materials could potentially meet their needs for an application." Bayer sees the Internet as another vehicle for business-to-business communication, he adds.

The site also includes links to other Bayer Corp. and Bayer AG sites, a section focussing on design tips and innovative technologies, E-mail, and an on-line literature request form.

For more information, visit the site or contact Bayer Corp., Polymers Div., 100 Bayer Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9741, USA; phone: +1 412 7772000; fax: +1 412 7775585.

Indentec Meets European Hardness Calibration Standard

Indentec Hardness Testing Machines Ltd. (Stourbridge, W Midlands, UK) is the first test-block calibration laboratory in the UK to be accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service according to European Rockwell hardness standard BS EN 101109-3. The EU standard replaces the multiple national standards that have been a source of annoyance to manufacturers.

"Measuring hardness is not like taking a ruler to something," says Indentec managing director Trevor Sidaway. "The standard is vested in the machine, and in order to ensure that a scalpel produced in Germany, for example, has the same hardness as one produced in the UK, a machine such as ours is needed to calibrate the test blocks."

The reference-standardizing machine was developed by Indentec to meet accuracy and repeatability parameters on the order of ±0.1% force measurement and ±0.1 Rc depth measurement. It is supported by custom software to perform Rockwell and Superficial Rockwell calibrations as required by the European standard. Elaborate software routines are preloaded to facilitate verification of test parameters.

Standards organizations will be the primary purchasers of the equipment, according to Sidaway, although a handful of larger firms may be tempted to invest in the reference-standardizing machine, he adds. "We have sold this type of equipment to some of the larger companies," says Sidaway. "They may have literally hundreds of hardness testers on the ground and it might make sense for them to want to control their own standards."

On the subject of industrial hardness testers, the company recently introduced a handheld model that provides immediate hardness readings of all metallic materials. The system works on the Leeb impact principle: hardness is calculated by firing a tungsten-carbide ball assembly at the test surface and comparing the approach and rebound velocities. The hardness value is displayed digitally and can be recorded on a hard copy by using the portable printer, which interfaces with the tester via an infrared port. The battery-powered tester is rated for 30 hours of continuous use.

For more information on the company's products, contact Indentec Hardness Testing Machines Ltd., Lye Valley Ind. Est., Bromley St., Lye, Stourbridge, W Midlands B74 3EB, UK; phone: +44 1384 896949; fax: +44 1384 424470.

In Brief

Asymtek and Nordson Join Forces

Two experts in dispensing technology, Nordson Corp. and its subsidiary Asymtek, have teamed up to form the Electronics Business Group, an association focussed on the European electronics industry. This strategic alliance is intended to better service the growing international market by providing individualized technical support and conveniently located distribution centres for each country.

Using its international network of experts, the new Electronics Business Group can deliver innovative solutions to European clients on a 24-hour basis, 7 days a week. A new state-of-the-art distribution centre located in Maastricht, Netherlands, can ship parts within 24 hours upon receipt of order.

Nordson and Asymtek offer automated fluid-dispensing systems that are used in the assembly of circuit boards and advanced integrated circuit packages; Asymtek's product range also has medical device and industrial applications.

For more information, contact the Electronics Business Group, Asymtek Nordson, The CadCam Centre, Brighton, Alresford, Hants S024 9RE, UK; phone: +44 1962 735666; fax: +44 1962 735734.

IEC Standards Available Electronically

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) now offers its complete collection of worldwide electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) publications on CD-ROM, responding to an increasing market need for electronic availability of the documents.

Among the electronically formatted publications currently available are the IEC 61000 series on electromagnetic compatibility and CISPR (International Special Committee on Radio Interference); the most recently published standards are also offered.

All publications are provided in a portable document format (PDF) and have full text-search capability that uses the accompanying Acrobat Reader. Series in the IEC Electronic Standards Collection include all standards and technical reports with texts, tables, and diagrams.

The IEC will periodically update the CD-ROM to ensure that users have access to the most current information. Each series can be purchased individually or as a package.

For more information, contact the International Electrotechnical Commission, 3 rue de Varembé, P.O. Box 131, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland; phone: +41 22 9190211; fax: +41 22 9190300.

Amersham Life Science and Pharmacia Biotech Merge

Amersham International plc (Little Chalfont, Bucks, UK) and Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc. (Uppsala, Sweden) have successfully merged their life science businesses, Amersham Life Science and Pharmacia Biotech. With nearly $714 million in combined annual sales, 3600 employees worldwide, and $64 million in R&D spending, Amersham Pharmacia Biotech Ltd. reportedly will be the largest research-based biotechnology supplier in the world, holding leading market positions in lab and industrial chromatography, industrial DNA synthesis, high-throughput drug screening, custom radiochemical synthesis, molecular biology reagents, DNA sequencing and mapping, and electrophoresis.

"We'll be able to offer everything from finding the target molecule right down to its production, its separation, and its processing for the finished product," says Ron Long, CEO of the newly formed company. Benefits to the customer will include increased speed to market for new technologies, a high level of R&D spending, integration of product portfolios to provide complete solutions in key application areas, improved customer support and service, and increased levels of competition in the sequencing/gene analysis market.

For more information, contact Pharmacia Biotech AB, S-751 82 Uppsala, Sweden; phone: +46 18 165000; fax: +46 18166458.

Shows and Conferences

International Laser Experts Meet at ICALEO 97

Laser professionals from around the world will convene at the 16th International Congress on Applications of Lasers and Electro-Optics to be held in San Diego, CA, USA, 17–20 November at the Catamaran Resort Hotel. Experts will discuss the latest developments in laser applications, including their use in the manufacturing of sophisticated medical devices and the techniques employed in laser materials processing. Medical device sessions will focus on the requirements for setting up a laser facility, personnel issues involved with using a laser, and the return on investment for laser manufacturing operations.

For more information, contact Laser Institute of America, 12424 Research Pky., Ste. 125, Orlando, FL 32826, USA; phone: +1 407 3801553; fax: +1 407 3805588; Internet: http://www.laserinstitute.org.

Nordic Lab-Xpo and
MEDICINE Show Off Together

Nordic Lab-Xpo, the annual International Trade Fair for Research, Industry, Environment, and Health-Care, and MEDICINE, the International Exhibition of Medical Sciences with Congress, will be held concurrently 25–28 November at the Fairs and Congress Centre in Stockholm.

Formerly called IMLAB, the Nordic Lab-Xpo show will feature exhibitors from 19 countries presenting laboratory, analytical, and diagnostic equipment.

With exhibitors from nine countries, MEDICINE will display products and services including surgical instruments, radiology equipment, lasers, pharmaceuticals, and related health-care products.

For more information, contact Stockholmsmässen, S-12580 Stockholm, Sweden; phone: +46 8 7494100; fax: +46 8 992044.

Le Mans Conference on Surface Treatment

The Centre de Transfert de Technologie du Mans has announced a conference devoted to surface treatment technologies on 26 and 27 November in Le Mans, France. Surface treatment methods and related equipment, adhesive formulations, and the characterization of joined assemblies and their aging properties will be among the topics addressed. While the primary applications under discussion will relate to the automobile, aviation, and recreation industries, biomedical uses of the technology will also be explored.

For additional information, contact the Centre de Transfert de Technologie du Mans, 20 rue Thalès de Milet, F-72000 Le Mans, France; phone: +33 243 394644 or +33 243 394604; fax: +33 243 394647.

Euromold Showcases Moulding Technology

Euromold, the European Trade Fair for Mould Making and Tooling, Design, and Application Development, will take place 2–6 December at the fairgrounds in Frankfurt, Germany. Product and service categories will include mould making, tool manufacturing, prototype production, model making, CAD/CAE/CAM/CIM technology, design, stereolithography, raw materials, and moulding equipment.

For more information, contact DEMAT Exposition Managing GmbH, Postfach 110611, D-60041 Frankfurt, Germany; phone: +49 69 234331; fax: +49 69 253071.

MD&M West 98 Highlights Medical OEM Suppliers

Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West, the world's largest medical OEM trade show, will be held 20–22 January at the Anaheim Convention Center (Los Angeles). Nine hundred medical OEM suppliers are scheduled to exhibit at the show, which will feature five product pavilions: MED-Pak (Medical Packaging Solutions), Medical Electronics, CAD/CAE/CAM & Rapid Prototyping, IVD Suppliers, and the International Pavilion. More than 8000 buyers are expected to investigate a wide range of products and services that include disposable device components, contract manufacturing, adhesives, contract R&D, raw materials, and manufacturing equipment.

For more information on this event, which is sponsored by Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine, contact Canon Communications llc, 3340 Ocean Park Blvd., Ste. 1000, Santa Monica, CA 90405-3216, USA; phone: +1 310 3925509; fax: +1 310 3924920.

Australia Hosts Global Device Conference

Sydney will host the seventh Global Medical Device Conference at the Sydney Convention Centre, 15–17 February. Sponsored by the Medical Industry Association of Australia, the programme will address various issues including mutual recognition agreements and global harmonization; challenges for the Global Harmonization Task Force; risk management; environmental concerns; reuse of single-use devices; business and market issues; and market and regulatory trends. Participation is open to all persons interested in medical devices and diagnostics.

For more information, contact The Secretariat, The 7th Global Medical Device Conference, G.P.O. Box 128, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia; phone: +61 2 92622277; fax: +61 2 92623135.

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