Vote for Medical Design Briefs 2023 Annual Readers’ Choice Awards

Each month, our editors choose a Product of the Month that has exceptional technical merit and practical value for our design engineering readers. Those 10 products are the nominees for the 2023 Medical Design Briefs Readers’ Choice Product of the Year.

You’re invited to cast your vote for the one product among the 10 listed below that you feel was the most important new product introduced to the medical engineering community in 2023.

The Readers’ Choice Product of the Year winners will be announced in Medical Design Briefs magazine and on our website at https://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/poy .

ONLY ONE VOTE PER PERSON WILL BE COUNTED. ALL VOTES MUST BE SUBMITTED BY JANUARY 20, 2024.

The 2023 nominees are:

Connectors for Medical Robotics

ETCO Inc., Bradenton, FL, has introduced custom-fabricated electrical connectors and terminals for robotic medical devices manufactured to OEM specifications from virtually any alloy. They are supplied loose or on reels for use with various automated attachment systems. The connectors and terminals can be inlaid or edge laid with precious metals. Available in sizes from 0.008 to 0.090 in. thick with +0.002-in. tolerances, depending upon materials and design requirements, they can include discrete overmolding and other special characteristics. Parts can also be made for other medical equipment, including mobility units, monitors, hospital beds, MRI systems, and CT scanners.

Surface-Mount Devices

Advanced Photonix, Camarillo, CA, offers silicon (Si) and indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) surface-mount technology (SMT) photodetectors for high-speed response applications. The SMT devices are assembled in compact, water-clear P-I-N, APD, PSD, and 1206 packaging and are available in cut tape, tape box, tape and reel, or custom reel quantities. The optical sensors/photodiodes are specially designed for automated SMT/SMD assembly and solder reflow mounts on printed circuit boards and ceramic substrates. They are available in various wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to near infrared (300–1700 nm). Active area sizes range from 0.185 to 8.07 mm².

Autoclavable Medical Sensors

NewTek Sensor Solutions, Pennsauken, NJ, offers medical sensors that withstand the effects of autoclave cycles used to sterilize medical equipment prior to surgical procedures or other medical uses. The M-375 series miniature AC LVDTs are highly resistant to harsh and high-pressure environments and offer a compact 3/8 in. diameter size to fit in tight space restrictions. With a corrosion-resistant, nickel-iron alloy housing and core, these sensors can operate in temperature extremes from –65 to +400 °F. Customized LVDTs are tailored to withstand repeated autoclave cycles depending on the customer’s sanitizing requirements.

Thin-Rolled Titanium

A line of thin cold-rolled titanium in a variety of commercially pure grades and alloys for medical devices is available from Arnold Magnetic Technologies, Rochester, NY. A range of thicknesses and widths are ideal for devices that require a strong, lightweight, corrosion-resistant, biocompatible material that is highly workable, ductile, and weldable. The ultra-thin gauge foil is available in thickness down to 2 µm (0.00008 in.). Widths are available up to 17.5 in., depending on thickness. Options include Grade 1, which has the highest purity of commercially available titanium with excellent corrosion resistance to chlorides, and Grade 2, the most commonly specified grade of commercially pure titanium.

Film Coating Technology

Datwyler, Middletown, DE, has developed a film coating technology for elastomeric closures for injectable drugs. The chemical and functional characteristics of UltraShield have been specifically designed to securely store drugs under ultra-low temperatures up to –80 °C and to provide compatibility with modern solvent-based drug excipients. The lubrication of the non-drug contact part of the stopper is fixed with an innovative curing system not requiring any additional curing agents. The proven concept of a fluoropolymer film coating technology in combination with an ultra-low extractable rubber formulation forms a protective barrier reducing drug-stopper interaction to obtain the lowest level of extractables.

Scalable Computing Platform

A scalable workstation from Advantech, Irvine, CA, provides continuity in complex processes by eliminating the need for frequent recertification, reintegration, and replacement. The Valor Mini Workstation is built on a mini ITX motherboard that supports Intel 10th Gen Core i processors with the intelligent H420E chipset. Windows IoT is integrated as standard. The flexible workstation comes with up to 64 GB DDR4 2933 RAM as well as an onboard M.2 2280 Mkey slot for high-speed NVMe SSD. The workstation has a seven-year minimum lifespan and is designed for healthcare and other applications.

Medical Interconnect Cables

A micro-coaxial cable from Times Microwave, Wallingford, CT, combines flexibility with low attenuation, making it well-suited for medical applications that require a balance of optimal power delivery with thermal properties and durability. Designed with a low-loss construction, the XtendedFlex 045 minimizes thermal dissipation while maximizing signal integrity and power transfer efficiency. It features a thin-walled PFA jacket that provides excellent biocompatibility and chemical resistance. It is constructed of materials that minimize shape memory, which enhances maneuverability in medical devices such as catheters and endoscopes. It can be used for single-use and reusable sterilizable applications as a discrete transmission line or integrated into a cable bundle for higher-density solutions.

Single-Use Materials and Services

Trelleborg, Fort Wayne, IN, has launched a family of products, materials, and services for fluid path single-use equipment designed to accelerate the advancement of life-changing therapies. The BioPharmaPro™ solutions are created from a portfolio of materials including silicones, other elastomers, thermoplastics, and composites that can be manufactured into tubing, custom molded components, and processing columns up to full assemblies, and much more. Offerings range from individual single-use components to complex assemblies and full biopharmaceutical systems meeting functionality, cleaning and sterilization, and regulatory requirements.

High-Performance Pump

A micro diaphragm gas pump from KNF Neuberger, Trenton, NJ, offers exceptionally low noise and vibration. This NMP 820 series pump produces a flow rate up to 3.5 L/min. Single- and two-head versions are available, producing 17.4 psig (1.2 barg) final pressure. Flow rates and ultimate vacuum for the single-head versions are up to 2.1 L/min and to 330 mbar abs (20.2 in. Hg), respectively. Two-head versions offer flow rates up to 3.5 L/min and ultimate vacuum to 100 mbar abs (27.0 in. Hg). The quiet operation of the NMP 820 is particularly ideal for medical point-of-care and medical portable devices, such as negative pressure wound therapy.

Flexible Biomed Resins

Formlabs, Somerville, MA, has introduced three healthcare-focused materials to its library. BioMed Elastic 50A Resin, BioMed Flex 80A Resin, and IBT Flex Resin are designed to streamline workflows and reduce labor time. The two BioMed materials will expand the applications for 3D printing in healthcare, reducing the time and costs associated with traditional production methods, such as molding. These materials are suited for long-term skin contact and short-term mucosal membrane contact for flexible patient-matched medical device components, comfortable medical devices, as well as tissue medical models for surgeons to reference in the operating room. IBT Flex Resin is designed with tear-resistant, accurate, and transparent properties for dental applications, including 3D printed direct composite restoration guides and indirect bonding trays.

Only one vote per person will be counted. All votes must be submitted by January 20, 2024.