micro parts to market... faster

MICRO LAB UNDER THE SKIN

4/24/13    iMicronews has a fascinating article about a micro laboratory that sits directly under the skin!

Scientists have developed a prototype micro lab that is embedded under the skin to analyze concentrations of substances in the blood and transmit this information to a receiver which a doctor can view. This could take the place of regular blood tests and is more accurate and timely.

This micro implant is a few cubic millimeters in volume, includes 5 sensors, a radio transmitter and a power delivery system! A battery patch sits on the outside of the skin to power the implant, therefore further surgeries to replace the power source aren’t needed.

This prototype is still being tested, but hopes is that it will hit the market in 4 years!

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image courtesy of iMicronews

SME MICRO MANUFACTURING CONFERENCE IN MN 4/16/13-4/17/13

4/10/13   Donna Bibber will be speaking about micro molding thin walled devices at the SME Micro Mfg Conference on April 17, 2013 at 11:30am, followed up with a panel discussion at 1pm. This conference will be at the Hilton Minneapolis at 1001 Marquette Avenue South in Minneapolis, MN. This conference is all about Going Beyond Micro. It is a forum where you can explore and share solutions in medical device manufacturing. The focus is on manufacturing processes and technologies, including :

• New manufacturing technologies, processes, tools and validation
• Outsourcing strategies for both finished goods manufacturers and contract manufacturers
• Understanding strategies for overcoming innovation challenges
• Strategies for improvement within the regulatory environment
• Inspection technology, repeatability and validation

Local hotels are booking up fast, so don’t hesitate to reserve your room today and register for this amazing conference!

You can register for the conference here.

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MICRO TOOLING CHALLENGES

4/2/13    Tooling challenges in micro mold making:

Parting line match – when putting two halves of a mold together to make a molded part, the parting lines have to be prestine. You can’t have a mismatch creating a “step” in the part.
Surface finish – surface finish is extremely important to micro machined components, especially if they are going to be assembled to something else. Creating a rough surface finish is a good thing to do when it is going into another part because it creates an improved surface area to adhere the next part to. Our dust-speck sized parts don’t have a lot of surface area, so roughening up that surface is of value.
Optical finish – surface finish needs to be extremely smooth so these components don’t feel like they are scratching the eye when implanted.
Material selection – Material selection when making micro-sized parts is an important consideration. Wall thicknesses are reduced because the parts are smaller and the material may get stretched out in a molding process. We need to use a material strong enough to do what it needs to do and be able to withstand heat within the body for a long period of time and be subjected to the elements.
Venting – It is important for machined tools to be vented properly to vent the gas out of polymer going through it.
Once the time has been taken to mold these tools, care needs to be taken to make sure they don’t depreciate and they will survive for their shelf life.