Medical Caster
The Medic, a single-button, triple-function medical caster from Darcor Ltd., features a patented multipurpose cam that enables one easy-to-engage foot pedal to control free-swivel, swivel-lock, and total-lock caster functions. The high-mobility caster is easy to start, roll, and swivel, thus supporting workplace productivity while minimizing the likelihood of injury to healthcare personnel. It additionally offers good braking ability; a typical cart with four of the casters can securely hold a load of 600 lb on a 10° incline. The caster features relatively soft, quiet neoprene wheels that are able to clear obstacles and reject debris without difficulty, and its hardened ball races resist wear to prevent premature failure. A color-coded window displays caster status: green for free-swivel, yellow for swivel-lock, and red for total-lock. This caster exceeds IEC 60601 specifications for medical equipment.
Darcor Ltd.
TORONTO, ON, CANADA
www.darcor.com

Miniature Medical Parts
Contract medical device manufacturer MicroGroup has acquired a Tornos 7 Swiss turning center to facilitate the machining of miniature medical parts. Suited for the high-precision machining of very small surgical instrument and medical implant components, the machine allows the company to produce parts as small as 0.030 in. in diameter and length, with tolerances of ±0.0002 in. As a Swiss machining center, the system minimizes deflection and supports attainment of very close dimensional tolerances by machining the area of the part immediately adjacent to the collet. The Swiss machining center, according to the company, enables more-precise and more-efficient production of smaller parts than is possible with computer-aided machining. This advantage can, in turn, translate into higher-quality parts at a reduced cost for customers, the company states.
MicroGroup Inc.
MEDWAY, MA
www.microgroup.com

Gaskets and Seals
Interstate Specialty Products Inc. produces custom-cut gaskets and seals from a range of materials to suit specific application requirements. The sealing devices, available in a variety of configurations, are designed to prevent contaminants such as dust and fluids, as well as light, from entering equipment and instrument enclosures. They are cut by means of a precision digital die-less method from PTFE, ePTFE, medical-grade USP Class VI silicones, open- and closed-cell foams, and high-performance elastomers, among other materials. The gaskets and seals are available in sizes ranging from 1 in. square to 60 × 120 in. and in virtually any geometry, including narrow cross sections and close hole spacing. They feature production tolerances as fine as ±0.005 in. , and are used primarily to seal analytical, medical, and surgical instruments.
Interstate Specialty Products Inc.
SUTTON, MA
www.interstatesp.com

Tiny Assembly Fasteners
PennEngineering offers the microPEM family of very small fasteners to facilitate the assembly of compact medical electronic devices. Standard fasteners available in this line include self-clinching standoffs and self-clinching locating pins, while other types of fasteners, from tack pins to screws, can be supplied as well. The standoffs used for spacing applications are manufactured from 400-series stainless steel with threads as small as M1.0/#00 and in lengths as short as 2 mm. Whereas the standard product of this type can be installed in sheet metal as thin as 0.4 mm and as hard as HRB 88, the manufacturer can supply specially engineered standoffs for sheets as thin as 0.2 mm. Micropins for locating and positioning applications are manufactured from age-hardened A286 stainless steel and designed with diameters as small as 1 mm/0.040 in. and lengths as short as 2 mm.
PennEngineering
DANBORO, PA
www.pemnet.com

Disposable N₂O Cylinders
A supplier of disposable nitrous-oxide cylinders used as power sources for portable or disposable cryogenic medical devices has expanded its product line for device manufacturers. The supplier offers a high-integrity pierce-resistant cylinder that has a 32-ml water capacity and provides 23.5 g of liquid N₂O. Offered by iSi Components, the new cylinder exhibits accurate and consistent gas-filling capability and leak resistance resulting from improvements in filling and crimp-capping processes. These characteristics ensure consistent, repeatable results and give cryogenic medical devices longer shelf lives, according to the company. A specialist in disposable gas-filled cylinders that range in capacity from 10 to 700 ml and contain carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, argon, or nitrogen at fill pressures to 2900 psi, the manufacturer is ISO 9001:2008 certified and can supply gas analyses according to U.S. and European pharmacopoeias.
iSi Components
FAIRFIELD, NJ
www.isicomponents.com

Synthetic Flow Restrictors
Precision flow restrictors for pneumatic and hydraulic applications are manufactured by Ceramaret S.A. and its daughter company on a custom basis from such advanced hard materials as ceramic and synthetic ruby and sapphire. Custom restrictors of very high accuracy are available with a hole diameter tolerance of less than 4 µm for hole diameters between 0.10 and 6.00 mm. The outside diameter tolerance is better than 6 µm for hole diameters up to 5.00 mm. The manufacturer produces high-precision parts from such high-purity ceramics as 99.9%-, 99.7%-, and 96%-pure alumina, TZP zirconia, and zirconia-toughened alumina.
Ceramaret S.A.
BÔLE, SWITZERLAND
www.ceramaret.ch

Assembly Components and Services
A distributor of products for use in medical device manufacturing and assembly operations has 34 stocking locations. Offering products from such manufacturers as 3M, Henkel Loctite, Bluestar Silicones, Kimberly Clark, Momentive Performance Materials, and Alpha Metals, Hisco additionally provides its own precision-converting capabilities. The company can die-cut parts in any volume, from laser-cut prototypes to high-volume parts run on a fully modern rotary press. Promoting itself as a total solutions provider for medical device assembly, the supply-chain company can deliver bonding components, adhesive dispensing technology, tapes, soldering components, cleaners, production tools, and cleanroom supplies. It also offers design, prototyping, and contract manufacturing services.
Hisco
HOUSTON
www.hiscoinc.com