Have needles your way

Straight and contoured surgical needles, tubes, and rod-shaped instruments and components are custom manufactured for use in orthopedic, cardiac, and urological procedures. The manufacturer uses Swiss precision machining and partners with customers to manufacture new designs. Tube and rod diameters are available in sizes starting at 0.064 in. Materials include stainless steel, titanium and most medical-grade metals. Parts pictured show 0.125-in. dia. stainless steel rods and 0.187-in. dia. tubes with swaged tip and cross-holes as small as 0.015 in. and holes with connecting slots and notched areas with textured surfaces. Custom points and tips are also available, as are custom 3D bending and contouring, threading, forming, and grooving.

Marshall Manufacturing, 3820 Chandler Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55421, (800) 321-6727, www.info.hotims.com/24233-255

Coatings blog

A hydrophilic coatings blog has been launched. The blog, www.biocoat.co/blog/asp, provides a forum where medical device manufacturers and designers can find the latest developments in device coating technologies and related coatings news or to post information. Readers are invited to comment on news items and articles such as “What clients look for in a coatings vendor”.

Biocoat, Inc, 211 Witmer Road, Horsham, PA 19044 (215) 734-0888, www.info.hotims.com/24233-256

Mini connectors for smaller footprints and high performance

HyperGrip miniature circular connectors are for medical equipment such as monitors, therapeutic devices, imaging, and invasive probes where increased portability continues to drive design and development. The connectors feature the company's hyperboloid contact in a 0.3 mm pin size while maintaining signal contacts rated at 1A each, with a dielectric withstanding voltage rating of 750V. The connectors incorporate a push-button latch while alignment and polarization are provided by the distinctive housing design. The plugs are available with crimp termination, which can also be soldered, accommodating up to 24 AWG wire. The receptacles will be available with 6-in. [15.24mm] pigtails as standard with optional custom lengths and board terminations available.

Hypertronics Corporation, 16 Brent Drive, Hudson, MA, (978) 568-0451. www.info.hotims.com/24233-257

Streamlining FDA compliance and software validation

FMEA-Med 7.5 is software that delivers industry-standard Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to ensure quality and prevent flaws in medical devices and pharmaceuticals. The software helps medical device and pharmaceutical companies streamline compliance through templates that are easily configured to an organization's preferences and internal vocabulary. The software lets medical device companies streamline their FDA compliance tests. Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 820 requires software validation. Software used with the device manufacturer's quality process must go through a strict validation.

Dyadem, 9050 Yonge St, Suite 401, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, L4C 9S6, (905) 882-5055, www.info.hotims.com/24233-258

Translucent conductive ink for screen displays

124-31 flexible translucent conductive ink and coating with 75 to 90 percent opacity can provide conductivities as low as 4 Ohms-cm. The material adheres to a variety of substrates without prior surface treatments. It resists creasing, scratching, and has solvent resistance. The optical properties of this product allow the end user to print conductive traces with limited opacity at thicknesses up to and over a mil. It also lets the end-user print exact patterns as required. Applications for 124-31 include high-resolution touch-screen displays, electronic labels, and printed electroluminescent panels, since crystal clear definition is not needed. 124-31 is a screen-printable product. Other versions are available.

Creative Materials Inc., 141 Middlesex Rd., Tyngsboro, MA, 01879, (978) 649-4700, www.info.hotims.com/24233-259