Originally Published MPMN February 2005

PRODUCTS

Products from the MPMN Mailbox

Contract Disposables Manufacturing

A specialist in syringe manufacture offers complete contract manufacturing services for marketers of Class I and Class II disposable medical devices. Integrated BioSciences Inc. (Harrisburg, PA; www.ibiosci.com) can handle a complete outsourcing program, from product design support and prototyping through assembly, packaging, and sterilization. Value-added services such as inventory maintenance, distribution, and marketing support are offered to help OEMs get their products to market quickly, on schedule, and at a competitive cost. In addition, the manufacturer is able to design, build, and operate the automated equipment necessary to produce the devices.

Medical Monomers and Polymers

Specialty monomers and polymers are available for use in medical device formulations. The chemical additives from Polysciences Inc. (Warrington, PA; www.polysciences.com) allow medical device manufacturers to give products desired attributes, such as hardness, water permeability, biodegradability, or UV-light absorbency. The high-purity substances are produced in bulk and batch quantities to suit the requirement. In addition to offering a broad line of off-the-shelf monomers and polymers, the manufacturer can develop custom products to meet specific formulation needs.

Air Bubble Detector

A clamp-on ultrasonic air bubble–detection system senses bubbles or breaks in the flow of liquids, including blood, through various types of flexible and rigid tubing. Detecting bubbles 250 µm and larger as standard, the self-contained Model AD-101 from Cosense Inc. (Hauppauge, NY; www.cosense.com) performs noninvasively, that is, without coming into contact with the liquid, so that there is no possibility of contamination and no concern about compatibility. Installation is simple and fast; flexible tubing snaps into place, and hard tubing is clamped. Tubing measuring 0.04 to 1.0 in. diam can be accommodated. The system operates at 5–24 V dc, and TTL, CMOS, open collector, optically isolated, or relay outputs are available for connection to audible/visual alarms or a data-acquisition system. Custom versions can be built to detect smaller bubbles.

Stainless-Steel Shaft Collars

A standard line of shaft collars made from Type 316 stainless steel is available for use in applications involving harsh chemicals, corrosive materials, or frequent wash-downs. Supplied off the shelf in set-screw, one-piece, and two-piece styles in sizes of 1/2–1 in. ID, the collars from Stafford Manufacturing Corp. (Woburn, MA; www.staffordmfg.com)are suitable for drive systems, mixing equipment, flow control instrumentation, and similar machinery. Special versions with threaded bores, mounting holes, and other custom features such as hinges can be provided in sizes up to 10 in. ID. The shaft collars come with standard 18-8 or with optional Type 316 stainless-steel fasteners.

Laser Sensor

A high-speed position sensitive device-based laser triangulation sensor tracks object displacement or running profile changes at analog outputs up to a 100-kHz response. LMI Technologies Inc. (Southfield, MI; www.lmint.com) offers its laser distance sensor for measuring vibration, alignment, distance, thickness, and positioning. Its small laser spot size, ranging from 0.20 to 0.25 mm, enables the device to measure small targets, and the sensor’s variable laser power control circuit automatically compensates for the target area’s color and texture variations. Available in two models, the standard continuous power version is used for applications requiring a high-frequency response, while the optional modulated power version is for ambient-light applications. The standoff distance is from 80 to 90 mm and the offset from 65 to 75 mm for both versions. The sensor’s accuracy is better than 0.5% at 10 kHz, and the resolution is less than 0.1% of the measuring range. These compact, rugged sensors are rated to IP-65 NEMA-4 standards and can be custom designed.

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