Miniaturization is a crucial part when comes to medical devices. With the growth in non-invasive procedures, micro coil technology has been pivotal in advancing medical science.
The micro-coil technology helps in fighting multiple constraints like size, manufacturing and many more. Yet, with the right control over the manufacturing process, miniaturization is achieved.
In this article, we will discuss the role of the micro coil in the current medical device technology. We will also touch upon the challenges faced during manufacturing micro coil devices & how we overcome them.
Micro Coil Technology: Overcoming the Manufacturing Bottlenecks
The following challenges are faced while using a micro coil for manufacturing purposes:
a. Thickness of the coil: The thickness of the coil determines the number of turns a device can have. Since a higher number of turns require reduced thickness, it often turns out to be a challenge in the manufacturing of micro coil devices.
b. Handling thinner wires: Handling thinner wires can be challenging. With the right technology, wires lesser than 9 microns can be handled with ease. The concern arises when there is a set of external factors that prevent the manufacturing of using micro coils, which are way thinner than a human hair.
c. Integrating it into the entire machinery: As the wires are thin in size, integrating it into the complete machinery is challenging. Traditional welding and soldering methods will not be effective - as the heat will destroy the physical properties. Solutions to ensure effective integration through thermo-pressure bonding, involving tinkering with temperature & pressure - can be quite helpful.
Micro Coil Technology: Understanding Thermo-Pressure Bonding
Thermo-Pressure bonding has been quite eventful in evading major integration issues when it comes to micro coils. The major challenges of the traditional methods include:
a. Thermal defect in the coils: As the temperature is increased, the coils undergo thermal defect. It leads to a change in the physical shape of the coil thus leading to unwarranted side effects.
b. Reaction with the oxygen: Oxidation effects can lead to the formation of new compounds. They can destroy the medical device’s durability and hamper the connecting region.
To tackle all these problems, thermos-pressure bonding has come into play.
Thermo-Pressure bonding looks forward to mitigating all the drawbacks as discussed earlier. Under high temperature and pressure, it provides integration with zero corrosion that’s both reliable and highly durable.
Moreover, it results in reducing the manufacturing costs - thus enhancing a higher profit margin.
Upon numerous testing - across multiple ambiances, thus leading to multiple stress & strain testing –thermo-pressure bonding has proven to be the go-to method for commercial medical devices.
Micro Coil Technology: Applications in the Medical Domain
Micro Coil technology has found numerous medical applications. Some of them include:
a. Sensors: Due to the miniaturized size, micro coil technology has seen a wide application to measure blood pressure, heart rate and blood & respiratory measurements.
b. End Devices: They act as wonderful therapeutic devices to measure pulses in the heart and nerves. Microwave applications are galore too - making them high in demand.
c. Aids for the hearing: No more worries about the small devices fitting into your ears, as they are patched with a PCB, thus enduring soldering.
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