Too often the adhesive selection for a medical device is left to the end of a project. It doesn’t help that there are so many adhesives as to make the choice overwhelming. With so many potential negative outcomes, here are tips on making the right choice. Tony Kaufman, New Business Ventures in 3M’s Critical and…
6 challenges to understand before starting a wearable medical device project
Before you start a medical wearable device project, consider the following challenges and suggestions on how to address them. Diana Eitzman, Ph.D. and Kris Godbey Skin is unlike any other substrate. It sweats, grows hair, secretes oil, harbors bacteria, constantly sheds old cells, regenerates new ones and changes with health, environment and age – characteristics…
Introducing the Smallest Wave Springs on the Market
The question you are asking should not be how many miles did I ride or how many steps did I take, but “how did someone make a wave spring that small?” As engineers around the world design smaller and smaller assemblies, the question becomes, where can I find the compact components to support my designs?…
Seal-and-lube design ensures insulin pump lifespan
Type 1 diabetics are dependent on the steady flow of insulin. Portable insulin pumps allow an active, mobile life and can increase the quality of life of patients. The Swiss medical technology specialist Ypsomed is introducing a new pump known as the “mylife YpsoPump” into the European market. With a weight of just 83 grams—including…
Taking the simple O-ring to new levels
Edited by Mary C. Gannon, Senior Editor LSR (liquid silicone rubber) O-rings are growing in use in a variety of high-volume production applications, especially in life sciences. O-rings are the most commonly used seal, featured in applications from aircraft engines to chemical processing lines, the hydraulics in tractors to subsea down-hole tools. They account for…
Updated Loctite® Adhesive Sourcebook from Henkel Now Available
Henkel Corporation has updated the Loctite® Adhesive Sourcebook for 2014 to include the latest adhesive, sealant, lubricant, coating and dispensing/curing equipment technologies. Available in print and online as an e-catalog, the new Loctite® Adhesive Sourcebook 2014 is a comprehensive 212-page reference that features more than 1,500 products for industrial manufacturing and maintenance. The Adhesive Sourcebook…
Saint-Gobain Supplies OmniSeal® and Rulon®
The Saint-Gobain Seals Group was recently selected to supply OmniSeal® spring-energized seals and Rulon® bearings for use in high-performance clinical chemical analyzer systems. Chemical analyzers are used in a variety of professions such as medicine and forensics and in such industries as environmental, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, agricultural, consumer products, and food and beverage. In large routine…
Two-part Production Simplifies Medical Designs
by Mary C. Gannon, Senior Editor Two years ago, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions purchased a liquid silicone company headquartered in Switzerland, which provided silicone extrusion and silicone molding, all in a clean room facility. The facility in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland and another in Northborough, Mass., allows the company to manufacture and design two-part Liquid Silicone…
Critical Steps in Selecting Fluid Connectors for Medical Applications
by Jim Brown, Medical Business Unit Manager, Colder Products Co. Choosing the right fluid connectors can improve patient safety and user convenience while maximizing sealing and flow performance. With so many risks and options for connecting tubing in medical applications, it is important to have a simple and repeatable strategy for selecting the best connector…
Henkel Unveils Interactive Adhesive Selector Guide for Medical Devices
Henkel has unveiled the first Interactive Loctite Medical Device Adhesive Selector Guide, an online resource providing direct links between 48 Loctite medical device adhesives and supporting technical documents such as materials safety data sheets and technical data sheets. This comprehensive, online selector guide is designed to make it easier for design engineers to access technical…