28.01.2015 10:17

Honeywell Sensing and Control - article by Rob Kim in Medical Design Technology Magazine - What's in store for the medical device sector in the coming year?

Medical equipment, driven by patient convenience and cost reduction, is moving from the hospital to the home. In addition, typical home-use products, like CPAP machines are becoming smaller and more sophisticated. In a hospital or clinical environment, medical professionals are entrusted to maintain and operate the equipment, but in a home environment that responsibility often resides with the end user, their family, and caregivers. The lower level of oversight requires that medical equipment be simple to operate and extremely safe. To make the product simpler for the user often means additional demand is placed on having smart sensors inside the medical devices. Products like CPAP machines, infusion pumps, and peritoneal dialysis are getting smarter, smaller, and providing new levels of performance.

These products require high-performing sensors. The sensors must be highly robust, accurate, consistent, and durable. As equipment gets smaller, the space available for sensors is also reduced. Pressure sensors, for example, are getting smaller by combining MEMS structures with sophisticated electronics to obtain better accuracy in a smaller package. Some pressure sensors contain integrated ASICs, which reduces the need for additional circuitry for signal conditioning and A/D conversions.

Some sensors are used to measure the pressure of fluids in the body. Sensors that contact body fluid are often single-patient use, enhancing safety against communicable diseases such as AIDS and Ebola. Today’s pressure sensors are provided at high volumes and price points that facilitate single-use applications.

www.mdtmag.com