Micro parts are revolutionizing medical technology. These tiny yet high-precision components ensure the reliability and efficiency of devices ranging from anesthesia machines to dental drills. Discover how these small but mighty parts are making a significant impact in the medical field.
In Brief
Micro Parts for Medical Technology: Micro parts are essential in medical technology, particularly in fluid handling valves, pumps, mixers, and small electric motors. These components ensure devices function reliably and are used in various medical devices, including anesthesia machines and dental drills.
Precision in the Operating Room: Micro parts play a crucial role in operating room devices like ventilators and anesthesia machines. For example, a valve anchor made from metal and high-performance FFKM controls the flow of anesthetic gases, ensuring precise dosage and patient safety.
Dental Treatment Applications: The micro Simmerring® and brake and sealing disks for dental drills have been developed. These components enhance patient safety and comfort by enabling instant stops and preventing the backflow of media, contributing to hygiene.
Laboratory Analysis Devices: Micro parts are also essential in laboratory analysis devices, pipetting robots, and HPLC systems. Specially developed hammer seals, rocker valves, and valve seat seals ensure reliable liquid dosage and prevent leaks.
Lead Center Special Sealing Industry in Reichelsheim has recently put Micro Parts in its focus. These tiny but high-precision components are tailor-made solutions for specific applications in medical technology. The main fields of application are fluid handling valves, pumps and mixers as well as small electric motors. With dimensions of up to around 20 mm, they prevent leaks and ensure that devices function reliably. They are used in many medical devices – from anesthesia machines in the operating room to dental drills and highly sensitive analysis devices in the laboratory. “Despite their small dimensions, our Micro Parts make a decisive contribution to the hygiene, safety and efficiency of medical devices,” explains Tobias Gutsch, Product Manager Division Special Sealing.
Precision in the OR
In the operating room, devices such as ventilators and anesthesia machines must function reliably under all circumstances. Micro parts play a key role here: a valve anchor controls the flow of anesthetic gases and ensures the exact dosage that is crucial for patient safety. The tiny component must be able to withstand the anesthetic gases over the long term. Made from a combination of metal and a high-performance FFKM, the valve anchor guarantees maximum precision and chemical resistance.
Ventilators are often used during medical interventions. A miniature flipper valve seal is used here to precisely control the respiratory gases. These seals made of FKM and EPDM offer a long service life, even under extreme conditions, and guarantee up to 10 million switching cycles without losing their performance. This makes the flipper valve seal a key factor in the safety and reliability of ventilation during surgery.
Micro parts for dental treatment
The team led by Tobias Gutsch and Dominik Linder has developed the micro Simmerring® and a brake and sealing disk for sealing rotating shafts in various applications. As the name suggests, the latter performs braking and sealing functions in the dental drill and enables the dentist to stop the drill in a fraction of a second once treatment is complete. This “instant stop” increases patient safety and the comfort of dental treatment. Manufactured from durable elastomers, the brake and sealing disk can withstand extreme loads at high speeds without losing its function or sealing performance. This micro-component also prevents the backflow of media and thus contributes significantly to the hygiene of the treatment.
Another application in dentistry is an elastomer composite part, which was named by its shape, the so-called dog bone, which regulates the supply of water to the dental chair.
Micro-components in the laboratory
Micro Parts also provide indispensable services in laboratory analysis devices, pipetting robots and HPLC systems. Specially developed hammer seals, rocker valves and valve seat seals are used here. The rocker valve controls the liquid dosage during the automatic pipetting process, while the valve seat seals in High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HTLC) devices prevent leaks and thus ensure reliable results.
High-quality materials and customized solutions
Choosing the right material is crucial for the performance of the micro parts. EPDM, FKM and FFKM offer specific advantages that vary depending on the application. FKM is characterized by good chemical resistance and temperature resistance up to 200 °C and is particularly suitable for use in environments with aggressive media. FFKM offers very high chemical resistance and reliably withstands temperatures of up to 230 °C, making it ideal for demanding applications. EPDM, on the other hand, is particularly resistant to ozone, UV radiation and hot water and is suitable for environments where moisture and steam play a role. The company’s extensive material expertise enables it to work with customers to develop customized solutions that are precisely tailored to the respective application. The result is durable, reliable micro components that can withstand even the most demanding conditions. “The work on our micro parts shows once again how closely our company is networked with the needs of our customers. By working closely with leading manufacturers in medical technology, we develop solutions that are precisely tailored to the requirements of modern medicine – and with the precision and quality standards for which Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is known,” explains Dominik Linder, Design Engineer, Special Sealing Division.
Would you like to find out more about Micro Parts? There is a lot of new content at the Freudenberg Sealing Technologies website. Take a look and discover everything about latest developments: https://www.fst.com/products/special-sealing-products/micro-seals/
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