Only the best for health

Medical technology applications must work reliably and very precisely. Manufacturers of medical technology devices all over the world have therefore been using encoders, counters, relays and cutters from Hengstler for a long time. They are characterized by high quality and are individually configured as required.

The products of the automation specialist from the Swabian town of Aldingen are used in many diagnostic and therapy systems. Their tasks include the positioning of computer tomographs as well as the recording of the stroke cycles of respirators, the precise control of surgical robots or the switching of the high-voltage section in defibrillators. Hengstler has decades of experience in the production of mechanical, electronic and electro-mechanical components for medical devices.

Positioning with highest precision

One area of application for the products is systems for proton beam therapy. Among other things, encoders such as the AD36 or AD35 ensure the precise alignment of the swivel heads of the systems by recording their position data in real time and reporting it to the higher-level controller. With this type of irradiation, even tumors located deep inside the body can be treated precisely without damaging surrounding healthy tissue. This is made possible by the absolute encoders, which not only work very precisely, but are also extremely resistant to the strong radiation of the system. With a resolution of 19 bits (single-turn) or 12 bits (multi-turn), the AD36 acquires position data completely digitally and transmits it via a bidirectional synchronous interface (BiSS-B or BiSS-C) at a variable clock rate of up to 10 MHz. Hengstler ensures the high accuracy of the position determination, among other things, by means of the so-called one-step check. In this process, the internal signal processing is subjected to a plausibility check for each individual increment. A code check also guarantees that the encoder signal reproduces the detected rotation bit by bit.

The AD36 and AD35 rotary encoders are also used in surgical robots. There, they report the exact position of the surgical instruments and manipulator arms to the physician, thus enabling remote-controlled operations - even across continents. Since the encoders precisely detect the position of the surgical instruments and manipulators, the operating room can be defined exactly. The risk of injuring adjacent body areas is thus reduced to a minimum.

Other areas of application in medical technology include flat detector C-arm computer tomographs and mammography devices for early detection of breast cancer. Here, the encoders permanently detect the position of the imaging system and the patient couch to ensure fast and safe creation of the X-ray image and thus the most comfortable examination possible.

Precise dosing and optimum maintenance

However, precision is required not only in the control, but also in the monitoring of medical devices. Only if they are set correctly and their functionality is constantly checked, the best possible treatment of the patient is guaranteed. Hengstler counters therefore perform an important task in many medical applications. For example, they record the operating hours of a device and thus provide early warning of pending maintenance or dangerous wear. Staff can therefore intervene and check or replace the device before it no longer works optimally or even becomes a risk to patients. Electromechanical counters from Hengstler can be found, among other things, in X-ray systems or ballasts of cold-light lamps used in medical applications. These lamps are used in endoscopes or surgical microscopes because they have a very high light intensity and at the same time generate hardly any heat. Conventional lamps would heat up too much and destroy tissue.

Another area of application for meters from Hengstler is in ventilators. Here, they register every stroke cycle and thus enable the exact adjustment of the device output to the patient's needs. Counters also play a central role in machines for blood treatment and analysis as well as in pipetting systems: In the analysis systems, for example, they record the number of blood cells or bacterial colonies; in pipetting, they regulate the volume of liquid by counting the number of drops.

Robust construction, easy installation

Meters from Hengstler can be easily integrated into existing networks. The high compatibility with existing systems is important, as meters are often used in parallel with programmable logic controllers. Via the controller, the meters report the determined values or command states to higher-level, central units. Medical technology manufacturers can easily integrate the counters into their applications: They are mounted via a screw terminal connection, a conduit fitting or a quick-connect connector, and most of them can also be mounted on printed circuit boards. Since the meters are also very compact, they can be easily mounted in positions where the functionality of the medical device is not impaired.

Another important factor for use in the medical environment is the high robustness of the installed components. Counters from Hengstler are very well protected against magnetic interference and are extremely shock-resistant. They also achieve high speeds and operate maintenance-free over a long period of time.

In addition to counters, medical technology manufacturers also use cutters from Hengstler - for example, in drug dosing systems. The cutters are maintenance-free, self-sharpening and available with different cutting widths.

An inconspicuous component saves lives

Relays from Hengstler are also installed in medical equipment. In defibrillators, for example, they ensure switching from the ECG to the high-voltage section so that the semiconductors can trigger the life-saving current pulse. In addition, the relays keep dangerous leakage currents away from the patient. They are suitable for switching currents between 10 mA and 100 A and are also available with positively driven contacts according to DIN EN 50205.

Suitable solutions for every application

All Hengstler components for medical devices are characterized by high reliability and robustness. They are produced on state-of-the-art equipment and individually adapted to the customer's requirements. This guarantees optimal functioning of the systems at all times.

However, the counters, encoders, relays and cut-offs not only prove their worth in medical technology applications, but can also be found in industry, retail or rail transport. The company offers its products from batch size 1 and modifies the components on request for any application. Customers also receive intensive application-specific advice, on the basis of which the best possible solution is selected.