Medical Products

Market Segment Discussion

 Medical uses of magnetic products include the standard motors, power supply inductors, transformers, fans, etc. with which we are so familiar. However, there are many esoteric applications such as those in the list below. 

•   Blood contrast agents 
•   Cell separation techniques 
•   Gene manipulation tools 
•   High rpm drill motors 
•   Laboratory stirrers 
•   Magnetic bandages and braces 
•   MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) 
•   Surgical tool drapes 

Applications Engineering

 Whether your company has sophisticated in-house magnetics design capabilities or a more modest facility, our Applications Engineers are ready to support your efforts through the entire product life cycle including:  

•    Conceptualization 
•  Initial design 
•  Prototyping 
•  Design optimization 
•  Pre-Production trials 
•  Validation testing support 
•  Production issues 
•  Cost reduction activities 
•  Next generation designs 

 Additional capabilities: 

•  Magnetic field mapping 
•  Magnetic properties testing 

 Design Assistance

 Applications engineers at each of our manufacturing locations can assist you with your needs, such as. 

•  Magnetic modeling: 2D, Radially symmetric, 3D, Temperature dependence  
•  Design relationships to your Hall sensor and application Specifications
  Complete analysis includes studying the effects of the operate and release point of the Hall sensors compard to the magnetic output waveform
  •  Quadrature encoders  
  •  Switches and latches  
  •  Ratiometric / Linear Halls  
  •  Pulse counters  
    
•  Complex holding force calculations  
•  Insert and overmolding designs  
•  Manufacturability analysis  
•  Measurement capability to verify design 
   

 Application Example

 Magnetic Resonance Imaging has revolutionized methods of medical evaluation by providing a non-invasive way to perform diagnoses. 

 The affected portion of the body is placed in a uniform, strong magnetic field. A pulsing field is then applied. Different body tissues absorb the fields to varying degrees allowing a computer to display a visualization of the inside of the body. 

 Recent advances in MRIs include smaller, portable units capable of viewing portions of the body such as arms or legs. The larger, whole body units have a reputation for being claustrophobic. Newer MRIs have an open structure, such as illustrated here, putting patients at ease. 

 A number of magnetic technologies are utilized in MRIs. Magnetic fields are supplied by permanent magnets and/or superconducting electromagnets. Additionally, field uniformity is assisted by the placement of high saturation, flux carrying soft magnetic alloys. The power source for the MRI utilizes soft magnetic components in its transformers, inductors and EMI/RFI interference shielding.
 

 Surgical drapes are used to hold surgical instruments during operations and to assist in the accounting for these instruments at the end of surgery. 

 The drape is fabricated from strips of flexible magnets encased in a closed-cell foam sheet.