Company insight
Creating healthcare sensor technology
When a new custom sensor for your medical device is needed, chances are you needed it yesterday. Unfortunately, custom-created sensors don’t just appear. While it would be wonderful to have the exact sensor when you need it, the reality is custom sensor technology in healthcare takes time to conceptualise, design, and manufacture. Manufacturer Amphenol discusses what it takes to make a custom sensor for your OEM medical device a reality.
Seven steps to developing custom sensor technology in healthcare. When it comes to creating a customised sensor solution for medical devices, the number one thing to be aware of … Actually, there are two number one things: It takes time and it’s an involved process. Because a sensor that’s created for your OEM medical device is completely unique, the process to make it is essentially cooking from scratch. So, what does the process of developing a custom sensor solution look like? In a general sense, there are seven steps to developing a custom medical sensor with a sensor manufacturer:
1. Initial consultation
As the first step, this part of your journey to getting a sensor made for your device is the most important. Setting the stage for what you’ll create, you’ll go over all the details of your sensor and its application. This includes elements such as: ■Sensor application: Exactly what will it be used for? How will it be used?
■Sensitivity requirements: While accuracy is critical, the level of required precision varies depending on the intended application
■Temperature range: The thermal range within which your sensor needs to function effectively
■Environmental considerations – How much moisture, dust, and other environmental factors will the sensor encounter?
■Connectivity: Does the sensor need a wired or wireless connection for data transmission?
■Intended lifespan: Is the sensor disposable or reusable? If reusable, what’s the ideal useful lifespan?
76 Custom medical sensors require a detailed, time-intensive development process.
“With an understanding of what the final product should look like, the sensor design team gets to work on distilling that vision into an actual engineering drawing. ”
■Any special design considerations – e.g. material selection, size, housing
2. Drawing exchange With an understanding of what the final product should look like, the sensor design team gets to work on distilling that vision into an actual engineering drawing. After the drawing is completed, we’ll send a copy of it for review. In almost all cases, there’s an element of back-and-forth to further refine your sensor’s plans. In a certain respect, this is like going over proposed schematics for a custom home – you’ll be looking at a very detailed plan. In addition to the sensor’s dimensions,
you’ll have other elements to review, such as material selection, wiring diagrams, and other finer points of the sensor’s assembly. And chances are, you’ll likely need a few rounds of tweaking and adjustment to get a design that meets – and exceeds – expectations.
3. Quoting
Having an agreed-upon design with the specifics for your sensor, your sensor manufacturer will draw up a quote. The quote should include a breakdown of: ■Unit cost at volume ■Prototyping costs ■Shipment logistics
Medical Device Developments /
www.nsmedicaldevices.com
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