The medical electronics industry is known to be one of the fastest growing markets in the U.S. The trend today is to reduce space and weight and add functionality at affordable rates. This is also the reason that flexible circuitry is gaining popularity, these days. In fact, it is being consided as the optimum interconnection as well as packaging design solution for medical electronics industry.
The introduction of flexible circuitry in medical device dates back to the era of 1970s. This was the period when reputed companies such as Medtronic and cardiac pacemakers utilized flex circuitry for implantable defibrillators and pacemakers.
Here are some of the most common medical applications where flexible circuits are used:
Monitoring devices: These devices include both portable and wearable electronic devices that keeps tabs on blood pressure, Blood sugar rate, Body temperature and hearth rate Bed side monitoring devices are also included in to this category.
Single use Devices (SUD’S): These are actually applications that include biopsy instruments, Ultrasonic scalpels, Electric biopsy forceps, Electrode recording catheters and many more.
Implantable medical devices: These devices include defibrillators cochlear implants neurological implants and pace makers. These devices are implanted in to the body surgically. The products need to be highly reliable, light weight, compact and durable.
Diagnostic equipment: The category of medical applications includes equipment that can carry out MRI, Ultra sound scanning, CT scanning, X-rays and a lot more. These are basically used to detect certain health conditions.
Surgery tools: These are necessary used tools used for surgery such as screw drivers, electronic sans and cauterizing scissors. The cauterizing scissors are used for clamping and closing blood vessels during a surgical procedure.
The variety of usage and medical applications is growing consistently with new designs, redesigns and modeling of existing equipments. This is also the reason that medical industry is considered to be one of the fastest developing and existing areas for flexible circuit applications.
There are several features that make flexible circuitry, an ideal choice for medical industry. These include the following:
- Reliability
- Supply chain
- Adept technical support
- Cost affordability
- Space and weight
- Regular supply chain
The demand for flexible circuitry will increase day by day.
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