Medical Design Briefs - September 2022 - 28

n The Smaller, Simpler, the Better
While we won't see millirobots like
Zhao's in real healthcare settings until
more is known about optimal design and
imaging best practices, the lab's first-ofits-kind
swimmer highlighted in Nature
Communications is among their robots
that are furthest along. It's currently in
the trial stages that come before any live
animal testing that proceeds human clinical
trials.
In the meantime, Zhao's team continues
combining a variety of novel smart
materials and structures into unique designs
that ultimately form new biomedical
devices. She also plans to continue scaling
down her robots to further biomedical
research at the microscale.
As an engineer, Zhao strives to develop
the simplest structures with the most
functionality. Her amphibious robot exemplifies
that mission, as it inspired her
team to more fully consider geometric
features not yet commonly prioritized by
other origami robot researchers. " We
started looking at how all these work in
parallel, " Zhao says. " This is a very
unique point of this work, and it also has
broad potential application in the biomedical
field. "
Additional Stanford co-authors of this
paper include postdoctoral scholars Qiji
Ze and Gentaro Ikeda; doctoral student
Shuai Wu; Phillip C. Yang, who is a professor
of medicine in the School of Medicine;
and Gianluca Iaccarino, who is a
professor of mechanical engineering and
director of the Institute for Computational
and Mathematical Engineering. Other
co-authors are from The Ohio State University.
Iaccarino is also a member of Stanford
Bio-X and an affiliate of the Precourt
Institute for Energy and the Stanford
Woods Institute for the Environment.
Yang is also a member of Stanford Bio-X,
the Cardiovascular Institute, and the Wu
Tsai Human Performance Alliance. Zhao
is also a member of Stanford Bio-X, the
Cardiovascular Institute, the Wu Tsai Human
Performance Alliance, and the Wu
Tsai Neurosciences Institute.
This research was funded by the National
Science Foundation and the American
Heart Association.
This article was written by Ashley Belanger,
Stanford. Contact: Jill Wu, Stanford
University School of Engineering:
386-383-6061, jillwu@stanford.edu. For
more information, visit https://news.
stanford.edu.
Surface Mount Technology for PCB Assembly Use Case
and SMT in Healthcare Systems
SMT assembly eases the
constraints of the board
space.
TechnoTronix
Anaheim, CA
Surface mount technology (SMT) is
widely accepted as the ideal process for
electronic products that are compact,
lightweight, and high speed. Both
through-hole and surface mount assembly
techniques have their own merits and demerits.
To understand the wide usage of
SMT in printed circuit board (PCB) assembly,
this article discusses the SMT process,
benefits of SMT assembly, major differences
compared with the through-hole
technology (THT) method, and suitable
applications in the electronics industry.
While the THT process involves mounting
electronic components by inserting
their leads in the holes drilled on the
PCB, the SMT process directly solders
the components onto the surface of the
PCB. These components are called surface
SURFACE MOUNT TECHNOLOGY
FOR PCB ASSEMBLY
mount devices (SMDs). They are smaller
in size compared to through-hole devices
and are suitable for high-routing density
and compact designs.
SMT benefits include:
* Supports assembly automation and
helps in quicker bulk production.
* Reduces manufacturing costs due to
smaller PCBs. SMDs have smaller footprints,
and a small board can offer
more functionalities as well.
* Supports high-speed design because it
can produce densely packed PCBs.
* Produces fewer assembly defects because
the SMT process easily adapts to
required modifications and upgrades.
* Improves signal integrity and reduces
electromagnetic interference because
the traces become shorter between
closely placed components.
* Increases the reliability of SMT assembled
PCBs. The application of solder
paste instead of molten solder highly
reduces the possibility of component
failure due to false solder joints.
* Offers flexibility because combining
SMT with THT assembly methods provides
greater functionality.
A secure product requires effective security measures and a clear set of requirements. (Credit: Pixabay/VIN
JD)
28
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There are several differences between
through-hole and surface-mount technologies
that make each suitable for some
specific applications. SMT, however, has
penetrated almost all the electronics doMedical
Design Briefs, September 2022

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Medical Design Briefs - September 2022

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