Trackwise’s Space, Cost-Saving FPC Technology Enables New Generations of Medical Instruments
April 27, 2022 | TrackwiseEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Trackwise, the innovative manufacturer of specialist products using printed circuit technology, is seeing a significant increase in medical applications using its flexible printed circuits (FPCs) including the company’s patented Improved Harness Technology (IHT) that uniquely enables multilayer FPCs of unlimited length to be constructed.
Philip Johnston, CEO of Trackwise explains: “As reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association, new developments in catheters, endoscopes and other medical equipment are “allowing the operator to work with the patient’s anatomy rather than fighting with it“. A report by Allied Market Research supports this, detailing that the global catheter market has been growing at a CAGR of 8.5% and will reach $15B by this year. This increase in demand is driven by an aging population, increases in cardiovascular disease, urinary bladder and kidney failures as well as growth in demand for less invasive surgeries.”
FPC technology brings several key advantages to medical instrumentation such as catheters and endoscopes, enabling a surgeon to access areas of the body that were previously hidden. FPCs can be made smaller and lighter than the discrete wire solutions they replace. They are also more flexible, and can stretch (within limits).
Another benefit of FPC technology is that it saves assembly time. Required circuits are printed in one operation, rather than assembled from discrete wires. This can result in significant cost savings. This, in turn, means that single-use catheters and endoscopes can be produced, resulting in better hygiene and less costs for the medical facility, both in terms of the initial investment in the equipment and in on-going cleansing costs.
Adds Johnston: “We are delighted to support the global medial instrument industry with our innovative FPC technologies. Not only do our interconnect solutions bringing space and cost benefits, we have also upgraded our processes with a new ISO Class 7 clean room and a high-resolution reel-to-reel direct imaging process, enabling our FPCs to meet the high-precision and miniaturisation demands of today’s MIS instruments.”
Suggested Items
Warm Windows and Streamlined Skin Patches – IDTechEx Explores Flexible and Printed Electronics
04/26/2024 | IDTechExFlexible and printed electronics can be integrated into cars and homes to create modern aesthetics that are beneficial and easy to use. From luminous car controls to food labels that communicate the quality of food, the uses of this technology are endless and can upgrade many areas of everyday life.
iNEMI Packaging Tech Topic Series: Role of EDA in Advanced Semiconductor Packaging
04/26/2024 | iNEMIAdvanced semiconductor packaging with heterogenous integration has made on-package integration of multiple chips a crucial part of finding alternatives to transistor scaling. Historically, EDA tools for front-end and back-end design have evolved separately; however, design complexity and the increased number of die-to-die or die-to-substrate interconnections has led to the need for EDA tools that can support integration of overall design planning, implementation, and system analysis in a single cockpit.
Koh Young Showcases Award-winning Inspection Solutions at SMTconnect with SmartRep in Hall 4A.225
04/25/2024 | Koh Young TechnologyKoh Young Technology, the industry leader in True 3D measurement-based inspection solutions, will showcase an array of award-winning inspection and measurement solutions at SMTconnect alongside its sales partner, SmartRep, in booth 4A.225 at NürnbergMesse from June 11-13, 2023. The following offers a glimpse into what Koh Young will present at the tradeshow:
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Plasmatreat: Innovative Surface Preparation Solutions
04/25/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOIn this interview, Editor Nolan Johnson speaks with Hardev Grewal, CEO and president of Plasmatreat, a developer of atmospheric plasma solutions. Plasmatreat uses clean compressed air and electricity to create plasma, offering environmentally friendly methods for surface preparation. Their technology measures plasma density for process optimization and can remove organic micro-contamination. Nolan and Hardev also discuss REDOX-Tool, a new technology for removing metal oxides.
Nanotechnology Market to Surpass $53.51 Billion by 2031
04/25/2024 | PRNewswireSkyQuest projects that the nanotechnology market will attain a value of USD 53.51 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 36.4% over the forecast period (2024-2031).