Spotlight on Electronic Components

Strain reliefs
More than 88,000 standard, built-to-stock strain reliefs for cable assemblies are available from ISC Engineering. These discrete injection-molded components made from flexible resins such as PVC have holes sized to match the device's cable diameter and are held in place by a slot and flange. This design provides structure and support in the stressed area where the cable jacket ends and connection with the component occurs. Medical applications for strain reliefs include medical lasers, imaging equipment, and external scanners. The supplier offers an online configurator that lets designers select dimensions and view 3-D models of final designs. And for those preferring a more-hands-on approach, it provides a sample kit of 24 standard strain reliefs.
ISC Engineering
CHINO, CA

Electronic components manufacturing
A registered and ISO 9001:2008-certified full-service contract manufacturer, Plastics One Inc. specializes in the design, molding, and assembly of components and electronics for medical devices. Each product the company creates is designed with tight tolerances; even very small components, including parts that are assembled under a microscope, have tolerances equivalent to those of parts of standard and above-standard size. The manufacturer additionally produces and assembles devices for patient diagnostics and monitoring applications, nerve integrity monitoring, hearing enhancement, and sleep and respiratory studies.
Plastics One Inc.
ROANOKE, VA

High-current inductors
Precision Inc. supplies high-current inductors in four new halogen-free and RoHS-compliant technologies, all of which are available in four standard sizes and various custom formats for integration into power-conversion devices. Offered in two-pad bow-tie, three-pad bow-tie, vertical through-hole bow-tie, and three-pad configurations, these high-density inductors feature a special flat-wire, ferrite-core construction intended to save space and costs while minimizing power losses. The edge-wound flat-wire copper coil provides better efficiency than round-wire and litz-wire technologies, and the ferrite core optimizes heat dissipation, resists thermal aging, and allows less core loss than powdered-alloy cores. The inductors work with power-management ICs made by several large IC manufacturers. They can be used as drop-in replacements for standard parts or as components in custom microinverters, battery chargers, ac-dc and dc-dc convertors, and other devices.
Precision Inc.
MINNEAPOLIS

Antibacterial circuit breaker
The Model TA35 thermal circuit breaker from Schurter Inc. is available with an antibacterial protective cover that enables the device to be used to provide operational safety and reliability in such hygienic applications as medical equipment. Tested and confirmed to be effective according to ISO 22196, particularly in protecting against the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, the cover contains silver ions that prevent the growth of numerous other microorganisms as well. The breaker and cover together carry an ingress protection rating of IP65, ensuring that the sealed system withstands common cleaning agents and disinfectants. Offered in one-, two-, and three-pole versions and featuring thermal overload protection, this circuit breaker can be configured to suit customer requirements. Its illuminated or nonilluminated rocker switch can be supplied in any of six colors and with a range of selectable legends and customer-specific symbols. Switches are designed for efficient snap-in mounting in panels ranging in thickness from 1 to 4 mm.
Schurter Inc.
SANTA ROSA, CA

Convection-cooled power supply
A new series of single-output 250-W ac-dc power supplies from XP Power is suitable for medical device applications. With up to 95% operating efficiency, the convection-cooled CCB250 series generates little waste heat and does not require forced-air cooling. The series achieves an absolute minimum efficiency of 90% with a 90-V-ac input at full load. Meeting the stringent demands of the IEC 60601-1 third edition medical safety standard, the power supply complies with 2x MOPP (means of patient protection). Complete risk management files are also available, removing the burden and expense associated with achieving product compliance. In addition to being able to continuously deliver a maximum output of 250 W, the power supply features up to 300-W peak power capability, allowing the delivery of a short-term higher current. Measuring 4 × 6 × 1.5 in., the open-frame power-supply series fits into a 1U space.
XP Power
Sunnyvale, CA

Microwire harness cables
Space-saving, application-specific micro- and nanowire cables that lighten miniature medical electronic devices can be designed effectively using cable design details and micro-d and nanoconnector formats available from Omnetics Connector Corp. Carefully designed wiring harnesses can be made to fit precise dimensions and routes within miniature electronic equipment, allowing for modules that are compact, lightweight, and reliable. The manufacturer offers micro- and nanosize connectors with rugged spring pin contacts as small as 0.013 in. in diameter that provide constant connection through episodes of high vibration and physical shock. Cable-and-connector systems are designed to suit the instrument, retain high flexibility, and deliver consistent performance. In addition, wire-harness routing from one module to another always follows the shortest possible length in order to optimize signal quality. Shielded cable prevents signals from being affected by electromotive interference, and miniature stranded-copper wiring insulated with Teflon can withstand a wide range of temperatures over a long lifetime.

Omnetics Connector Corp.
MINNEAPOLIS

Reed relays
The CRF series of RoHS-compliant instrumentation-grade reed relays from Standex-Meder Electronics measure 3.4 mm high and come with an internal magnetic shield that allows engineers to stack them side by side without concern for magnetic coupling effects. Their space-saving design makes these components suitable for use in both 2- and 3-D relay matrices in low-profile environments. Suitable for such medical device applications as electrosurgical generators, portable defibrillators, and surgical instruments, the relays have a flat insertion loss curve between dc and 7 GHz, which is attained by keeping the signal path as short as possible and using an internal coaxial shield with a consistent 50-? impedance path. As a result, they are optimized not only for radio-frequency signals but also for digital signals in which the skew rate is under 40 picoseconds through the relay. The series' rugged packaging consists of ceramic overmolded with epoxy. The heat-conducting alumina substrate provides offset voltage below 1 µV and is equipped with leadless gold-plated pads that enable the relay to be surface-mounted without lead skewing or coplanarity issues.

Standex-Meder Electronics
CINCINNATI