Michael Barbella, Managing Editor10.22.20
Consider, for just one moment, the ability to monitor human brain activity at its source. Imagine the knowledge that could be gleaned by directly observing the non-stop electric symphony composed and conducted by a 120 billion-piece neuronal orchestra.
Fancy gaining a ringside seat to this cerebral concerto, without the need for big, bulky machines, strange-looking skull caps, or long, tangle-prone wires. A tiny, perhaps flexible, electrode would suffice as the entrance fee.
To truly witness the magical harmony of the brain’s electric oscillations, that electrode would have to be extremely small—conceivably, 100 nanometers or so (roughly 1,000 times thinner than a human hair).
Creating an electrode of that size certainly is technologically possible. Medical electronics have steadily been shrinking over the last two decades as digital health and minimally invasive surgical procedures spawned a worldwide thirst for smaller, more complex computerized devices that improve diagnoses and tracking. The scramble for diagnostic tests, personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other medical supplies associated with the planet’s battle against COVID-19 is expected to increase demand for medical electronics over the next seven years.
Medical Product Outsourcing’s September feature, “Mission Complete,” details the various trends and challenges currently shaping the custom medical electronics market. Steven Lassen, senior customer application engineer at LEMO USA Inc., was among the experts interviewed for this story. His full input is provided in the following Q&A:
Michael Barbella: What factors must be taken into consideration when designing electronic components for medical devices?
Steven Lassen: When selecting connectors, there are options such as internal board-to-board or external I/O, re-usable or disposable, metal or plastic housings, latching or non-latching as well as current and voltage ratings. LEMO’s designs incorporate scoop-proof, touch proof standard in most configurations. Between electrical contacts or contacts and housings there may be creepage and clearance considerations for a given application. There is also the new IEC 60601-1-2 4th Edition which increases the ESD test to 15kV.
Connectors can be made quite small, however, in applications where elderly patients may directly manipulate the connectors, considerations must be given to using larger connector size and low connection forces.
Barbella: Please discuss some of the challenges in designing and manufacturing electronic components for medical devices. How has your company overcome these challenges?
Lassen: The demands of the medical market for enhanced video and data communication rates are pushing the limits of electronics. Copper-based connections may not be fast enough to handle the increased data speeds and bandwidth. Similar to the change that happened in the commercial broadcast industry over the last two decades from standard definition to HDTV, a move from copper-based connections to fiber optic-based connections is inevitable. With this transition there are learning curves which end users must adopt to keep the fiber end-faces clean, especially for single-mode applications. Copper-based connection rarely needed cleaning, whereas optical fiber needs to be periodically cleaned. Whether than means keeping a cleaning device near the unit, or carrying one on-person. End-face technology such as expanded beam can help minimize cleaning time. However, they still need to be cleaned periodically.
Barbella: What are customers demanding or expecting in their electronic components?
Lassen: Connectors must be of the highest reliability and handle multiple elements, such as electrical contacts, fiber contacts, thermocouple or even fluidic/pneumatic with shut-off. The reliability of the connector must meet or exceed the design intent of the end product.
Barbella: How is AI (artificial intelligence) influencing electronic component development?
Lassen: AI eventually boils down to a physical element such as servo drives or actuator motors to manipulate a medical tool or sensor. Rather than hard-wire the conductors into the drives and motors, more manufacturers are incorporating a connector directly into it. This can minimize down-time if a cable fails in high-flex applications where the cable assembly can just be quickly replaced. Also, it offers an option for multiple configurations to be used with the same motor simply by changing the cable.
Barbella: How is the trend toward miniaturization of medical devices driving the design of electronic components? Please explain.
Lassen: Electronic connectors that are manipulated by hand have a limit to the degree of miniaturization. Although the internals of the connector can be miniaturized to a great degree, the overall external portion of the connector that will be manipulated by an end-user has a size limit. Some designs require a deviation from solder bucket contacts, which are terminated by hand, to an automated process of termination directly to a printed circuit board for extremely small conductor sizes.
Fancy gaining a ringside seat to this cerebral concerto, without the need for big, bulky machines, strange-looking skull caps, or long, tangle-prone wires. A tiny, perhaps flexible, electrode would suffice as the entrance fee.
To truly witness the magical harmony of the brain’s electric oscillations, that electrode would have to be extremely small—conceivably, 100 nanometers or so (roughly 1,000 times thinner than a human hair).
Creating an electrode of that size certainly is technologically possible. Medical electronics have steadily been shrinking over the last two decades as digital health and minimally invasive surgical procedures spawned a worldwide thirst for smaller, more complex computerized devices that improve diagnoses and tracking. The scramble for diagnostic tests, personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other medical supplies associated with the planet’s battle against COVID-19 is expected to increase demand for medical electronics over the next seven years.
Medical Product Outsourcing’s September feature, “Mission Complete,” details the various trends and challenges currently shaping the custom medical electronics market. Steven Lassen, senior customer application engineer at LEMO USA Inc., was among the experts interviewed for this story. His full input is provided in the following Q&A:
Michael Barbella: What factors must be taken into consideration when designing electronic components for medical devices?
Steven Lassen: When selecting connectors, there are options such as internal board-to-board or external I/O, re-usable or disposable, metal or plastic housings, latching or non-latching as well as current and voltage ratings. LEMO’s designs incorporate scoop-proof, touch proof standard in most configurations. Between electrical contacts or contacts and housings there may be creepage and clearance considerations for a given application. There is also the new IEC 60601-1-2 4th Edition which increases the ESD test to 15kV.
Connectors can be made quite small, however, in applications where elderly patients may directly manipulate the connectors, considerations must be given to using larger connector size and low connection forces.
Barbella: Please discuss some of the challenges in designing and manufacturing electronic components for medical devices. How has your company overcome these challenges?
Lassen: The demands of the medical market for enhanced video and data communication rates are pushing the limits of electronics. Copper-based connections may not be fast enough to handle the increased data speeds and bandwidth. Similar to the change that happened in the commercial broadcast industry over the last two decades from standard definition to HDTV, a move from copper-based connections to fiber optic-based connections is inevitable. With this transition there are learning curves which end users must adopt to keep the fiber end-faces clean, especially for single-mode applications. Copper-based connection rarely needed cleaning, whereas optical fiber needs to be periodically cleaned. Whether than means keeping a cleaning device near the unit, or carrying one on-person. End-face technology such as expanded beam can help minimize cleaning time. However, they still need to be cleaned periodically.
Barbella: What are customers demanding or expecting in their electronic components?
Lassen: Connectors must be of the highest reliability and handle multiple elements, such as electrical contacts, fiber contacts, thermocouple or even fluidic/pneumatic with shut-off. The reliability of the connector must meet or exceed the design intent of the end product.
Barbella: How is AI (artificial intelligence) influencing electronic component development?
Lassen: AI eventually boils down to a physical element such as servo drives or actuator motors to manipulate a medical tool or sensor. Rather than hard-wire the conductors into the drives and motors, more manufacturers are incorporating a connector directly into it. This can minimize down-time if a cable fails in high-flex applications where the cable assembly can just be quickly replaced. Also, it offers an option for multiple configurations to be used with the same motor simply by changing the cable.
Barbella: How is the trend toward miniaturization of medical devices driving the design of electronic components? Please explain.
Lassen: Electronic connectors that are manipulated by hand have a limit to the degree of miniaturization. Although the internals of the connector can be miniaturized to a great degree, the overall external portion of the connector that will be manipulated by an end-user has a size limit. Some designs require a deviation from solder bucket contacts, which are terminated by hand, to an automated process of termination directly to a printed circuit board for extremely small conductor sizes.
