Flexible circuit assemblies play an important role in the design and functioning of wearables for health monitoring, pacemakers, implantable devices, and so on. Their popularity stems from the benefits they offer in terms of size, flexibility, performance, weight, and conformability to name a few. We, at Automated Assembly®, have developed SMT-Flex® that offers us a competitive edge in the medical sector. Contact us today to discuss your custom flex assembly requirements for medical applications.
Why Choose Our Flexible Circuit Assembly in Medical Devices?
Our trademark process SMT-Flex® enables assembling circuits on a variety of thin substrates such as vinyl films, paper, and more. This makes them suitable for compact parts and devices used in the medical sector. We have worked with several components and offer custom flex assemblies to the clients in the medical sector. Here are some beneficial features of medical flex assemblies.
- Robustness and Durability: flex assembly for medical devices are designed to be durable and highly resistant to various physiological and environmental parameters aside from shocks and vibration. This is a key requirement in the medical sector since the devices with flex assemblies are exposed to all of these factors, for instance continuous vibration in magnetic resonance imaging equipment. A flex assembly can remain structurally stable in any harsh environment or mechanical stress, without hampering the device performance.
- Weight: Lightweight flex circuits are crucial in wearable devices because they do not add weight to the device and are easier for patients to wear. flex assembly for medical devices can thin and lightweight, making them ideal for medical applications where weight can be a concern.
- Flexibility: This is a key factor and extremely essential in small form factor and bendable devices in the medical sector such as respiratory equipment, devices with sensors, hearing aids, and so on. We do offer standard flexible circuit assembly on polyimide, polyester and PEN based films. Aside from this, our next generation flex technology, Wire-Write™, enables manufacturing flex circuits on paper, cloth, vinyl, and so on. This level of flexibility and customization are two factors as to why our clients from the medical sector prefer us for their assembly needs. Our assembly can conform to various shapes and contours. It can be bent, twisted, and folded without compromising performance.
- Automation: We significantly invest in automation technology and implement it in our manufacturing techniques. Our SMT-Flex® process is done using the latest SMT technology for high-speed automated placements.
EMI Shielding: Preventing or suppressing EMI is crucial for optimal performance of any electronic device. Certain devices in this sector are prone to EMI, in segments such as imaging, x-ray, ultrasound, and so on. To overcome this challenge, we can help select flexible shielding to prevent electromagnetic interference in your flexible circuit assembly.
Application Areas of Flex Assembly for Medical Devices
Custom flex assembly finds several applications in the medical sector. Here are some application areas.
Medical Imaging Devices: flex assembly for medical devices are used in medical imaging equipment and systems such as ultrasound machines, X-ray devices, CT scanning machines, and MRI scanners. They are integrated into sensors, transducers, and signal processing components which helps in accurately capturing the image.
Wearable Medical Devices: This is a part of health tech segment which comprises health monitoring devices worn on the body, such as wearable ECG monitors, fitness trackers, glucose monitoring patches, smart watches, and so on. Our flexible circuits are suitable in this segment as they conform to the shape of these devices quite easily that fit into your clothing or on skin.
Endoscopy and Minimally Invasive Surgery: Flexible circuit assemblies are used in endoscopic cameras and surgical instruments to transmit high-quality images, videos, and data from the tip of the device to external monitors or recording systems. The advent of this technology has made surgeries less invasive.
Neurological Monitoring and Stimulation: Devices used for monitoring brain activity (EEG) and providing neurostimulation therapy feature flexible circuits. Flex circuit assemblies enable the precise placement of electrodes and sensors closest possible to the brain, thus enhancing accurate output.
Medical Wearables for Vital Signs Monitoring: Flexible circuits are used in devices that monitor heart rate, body temperature, and other home-based monitoring devices.
Drug Delivery Systems: Flex assembly for medical devices can be integrated with drug delivery devices in critical treatments such as chemotherapy. This ensures accurate dosing and control. They enable communication between the device’s control unit and the delivery mechanism, ensuring precise and timely administration of medications.
Surgical Robotics: Robot-based surgeries are gaining traction and this involves minimal human intervention. These are especially common in the orthopedic segment. Robotic arms and control systems contain flex circuit assembly to facilitate the required flexibility and movement at various angles and bents. These circuits help transmit commands, data, and feedback to and from the surgical instruments, enhancing the precision and control of the procedures.
Remote Monitoring and Telemedicine Devices: Flexible circuits are incorporated into remote monitoring devices that allow healthcare providers to monitor patients’ health remotely. These devices can transmit data such as ECG readings, oxygen levels, and more to healthcare professionals, enabling timely interventions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Flex circuits offer the bending ability required in certain medical devices. They can conform to the required shape when worn by a person are light weight and can be folded to reduce size when necessary. They also help in data transmission, inter-device communication, and accurate output. Since they have minimum interconnects, it helps reduce the complexity in design.
It is important to comply with the local, state, and federal regulation in terms of the materials used in making flex circuits, quality standards, packaging, and other related factors. This is applicable to electronics manufacturing service providers as well as OEMs of biomedical devices. IEC and ISO are the largest and the most recognized regulating bodies for medical devices.
Yes, they are widely used in implantable medical devices such as pacemakers. They make the device flexible and lightweight. We understand the stringent quality requirements of the medical industry. Our quality objectives include client satisfaction, on-time delivery, and fast client response time. This helps ensure the level of quality demanded by this ever-evolving, life-saving industry. Feel free to reach us on phone or email in case you are interested in sharing your requirements or have any further questions regarding the flex assembly for medical device options we offer.
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