Medical Design Briefs - August 2021 - 50

Advances in designing and engineering complex products such as endoscopes are primary drivers
of cost-effective electronics manufacturing. (Credit: Benchmark)
gies has fundamentally changed how
manufacturers design camera technology,
revolutionizing the optics industry by
allowing significant reductions in de -
vices' size and weight.
■ Medical Device Consumables
Medical device consumables are singleuse
components, such as a lab-on-chip
consumable, used in conjunction with a
reusable platform. This
technology is
found in various applications, including
in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) platforms,
blood glucose monitoring tools, ambulatory
systems, and clinical wearables.
Meeting the demand for medical device
consumables is more challenging because
the electronics involved in these applications
are complex and often require
repeatable, high-precision assembly. Medi -
cal device consumable manufacturers can
benefit considerably from automated manufacturing
and test platforms to solve this
challenge. Automation in medical device
consumables helps meet high-volume production
needs while managing costs effectively
and ensuring quality.
■ Benefits of Traceability
One-time-use devices significantly im -
prove traceability and quality control for
both manufacturers and healthcare professionals
while enhancing patient safety.
When a device can only be used on a single
patient, it is far easier to identify a bad
product or a bad batch of products and
remove them from use. With reusable
devices, it's much harder to manage and
identify a problematic device when it has
been in rotation for a long time.
Consider the example of single-use
versus reusable endoscopes and guides.
The cost for single-use devices is slightly
higher up front; however, the cleaning
and sanitizing process for reusable de -
vices is very resource-intensive and creates
waste by-products. Both reusable
and single-use medical devices must be
safe and effective by design. While there
is always a risk for infection during any
operation, the medical community is in -
terested in investigating whether singleuse
devices reduce infection risk.
Improving patient outcomes and
reducing healthcare costs are the main
goals when developing any new medical
technology. Significant advancements in
manufacturing automation and electronics
miniaturization make this possible by
enabling single-use devices at reasonable
costs. These technologies will never wholly
replace reusable devices, but it's clear
they constitute a significant trend among
the leading medical device manufacturers
and healthcare professionals.
This article was written by Dan Johns,
Director of Design Engineering, Benchmark,
Tempe, AZ. For more information, visit
http://info.hotims.com/79416-345.
A Versatile Tool for CNC Machining of Medical Devices
Flexible hones enable
machining of complex parts
with cross-drilled holes.
Brush Research
Manufacturing
Los Angeles, CA
In the past decade for medical de -
vices, the machine shop has relied on a
flexible, honing tool for a wide range of
automated CNC machining applications
such as cross hole deburring, cylindrical
honing, surface finishing, edge blending,
and cleaning.
By integrating flexible hones into the
machining process, complex parts with
cross-drilled holes and other difficult-toaccess
features can be deburred, honed,
surface finished, etc. in house, at less cost.
50
Intro
Cov
In automated machining, removal of burrs
and sharp edges in cross-drilled holes and
other difficult-to-access areas such as
undercuts, grooves, slots, or internal holes
can be tedious and time consuming.
Despite the challenges, the removal of
burrs from the production process for
medical devices is an absolute must for
high-quality, precision parts. In many ap -
plications, cross-drilled holes act as conduits
for fluids, lubricants, and gases.
Failing to remove burrs can cause blockage
of these critical passages or create turbulence
in the flow. Burrs can also lead to
part misalignments, affect dimensional tolerances,
and limit the overall efficiency of
machined components.
" Eliminating burrs is critical because if
any loose material gets dislodged during
use, there can be serious consequences, "
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says Janos Garaczi, president of Delta
Machine Company.
For such applications, Garaczi selected
the Flex-Hone from Los Angeles-based
Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM).
Characterized by the small, abrasive globules
that are permanently mounted to
flexible filaments, the product is a flexible,
low-cost tool utilized for sophisticated
cross-hole deburring, honing, surfacing,
and edge blending. The hones are available
in a variety of abrasive types, sizes, and
grit selections. Flexible hones are ideal
because the tools are a cost-effective solution
to smooth edges and produce a
blended radius for cross-hole deburring.
" In terms of accessibility, I haven't found
any other tools that can do what a FlexHone
can, whether for multiple cross
holes or internal grooves, says Garaczi.
Medical Design Briefs, August 2021
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Medical Design Briefs - August 2021

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