A manufacturer of surgical instruments is using simple, canted coil springs to give doctors new insight into critical spinal procedures. Massachusetts-based Life Instruments Corp. designed springs into its Radiolucent Cervical Retractor. According to company president and CEO Larry Foley, the springs act as “markers” under x-ray, and allow for the integration of new polymer retractor…
Connectors Take On A New Life
By Jaime R. Erickson, Senior Applications Engineer, Colder Products Company Medical systems continue to become more advanced and complex as newer technologies emerge. With some systems, the “umbilicals” use a variety of different lines for fluidics, pressurized air, vacuum, gasses, and a number of different electronics, such as multi-conductor, coaxial, power, and data cables. With…
Stainless Steel Lifting Eyes from J.W. Winco
J.W. Winco, Inc. now offers series DIN 582-NI Stainless Steel Lifting Eyes with tapped thru hole, in metric sizes. These metric sized, RoHS compliant lifting eyes are manufactured with the contact face machined to allow for firm contact with the mating surface. The stainless steel material and one piece design makes these components suitable for…
Bi-Directional Seals from Minnesota Rubber and Plastics
Bi-Directional seals handle opposing pressures while preventing leakage. Custom designs from Minnesota Rubber and Plastics are ideal for a wide range of fluid delivery applications including medical and dental devices. To make these seals work, Minnesota Rubber and Plastics designed a unique double-lip seal. The lip facing up contains downward fluid pressure. The lip facing…
Medical Grade Epoxy Adhesive Withstands High Temperatures and Sterilization
The EP42HT-2ND2MED (Black) adhesive complies with the testing requirements of USP Class VI plastics. This two-component epoxy resists recurrent autoclaving and sterilizations including radiation, steam, ethylene oxide, and chemical sterilants. It electrical insulates and has a volume resistivity over 1012 ohm-cm, a thermal expansion coefficient of 35 to 40 in./in. x 10-6/° C, a dielectric…
Injection Molding with Magnesium
Once known as an arduous and sometimes unpredictable process, magnesium injection molding is now an established technology. When the magnesium element is combined with small percentages of aluminum and zinc (AZ91D), and aluminum and manganese (AM60B), the alloy can be used to produce durable, lightweight parts. Products made with magnesium are also environmentally friendly, 100%…
Solving Assembly Challenges in Reduced Footprint Applications
Smaller, lighter, and thinner electronic devices and their inherently restrictive design envelopes present several challenges on the road to their assembly and manufacture. Hardware for component attachment must perform reliably, despite the shrinking and limited footprints for fastener placement and installation. In addition, designers face reduced parts counts for weight savings and production economies. An entirely…
Microminiature Silicone Seals Meet Medical Needs
Advanced medical procedures and treatments place rigorous requirements on medical equipment and devices. Seals and other parts in medical products are exposed to a wide range of chemical and temperature environments. Furthermore, the move towards smaller devices has driven down the size of components, including seals. Silicone seals from Apple Rubber are available in a…
Stronger Implant for the More Active Generation
With active baby boomers living and playing longer, traditional artificial implants, their components, and the fasteners that hold them together must be built to last longer than ever before. Skeletal Dynamics recognized this need and developed the Align Radial Head System, an artificial elbow joint designed to restore the natural function of the native radial…
Custom Threaded Metal Inserts for Insulin Pumps
Recently, Yardley Products has been supplying custom sized threaded metal inserts in the assembly of insulin pumps made by a multi-national pharmaceutical manufacturer. The manufacturer approached Tim Bailey, president of Yardley Products, about creating a custom sized insert in the construction of the insulin pumps. “The insert had to be incredibly small,” says Bailey. “It’s…