Innovative Plastic Enclosures and Knobs for Medical Electronics

Medical technology is a continuously growing and extremely sensitive market. The devices – and in particular their enclosures and knobs – have to meet high standards. These must be durable, functional and stable as well as visually convincing. An ergonomic shape is a basic requirement for mobile devices worn close to the body, writes Robert Cox, V.P. Marketing at OKW Enclosures Inc.

Medical technology is an important market for OKW Gehäusesysteme. In this extremely varied sector, a wide range of design-oriented standard enclosures provides highly individual solutions for the optimum housing of electronics. In everyday use by doctors, nursing staff or patients themselves, handheld devices are required for a wide range of different purposes: controllers for hospital beds, emergency call systems or analysis devices – and they can be mobile, stationary or wired. Ergonomic shapes with pleasant tactile surfaces are essential when people are regularly handing the enclosures.

Coronavirus COVID-19 Crisis

In the UK during March, April and May 2020, OKW is supplying many thousands of its tuning knobs to the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium. This is for the production of the Smiths ParaPac portable ventilator, many thousands of which are required by the UK National Health Service in the fight against COVID-19.

Robert Cox from OKW UK writes, it has been a great honor for our company to be part of this historic effort to save lives. Everybody in our production, sales and logistics teams have been fully focussed on satisfying the needs of the consortium – so far our dedicated staff have achieved all of the production deadlines we have been set.

Handheld Enclosures for Patient Monitoring

STYLE-CASE offers a particularly appealing solution. Its ergonomic design makes it pleasant to hold. Highly polished surfaces guarantee an elegant appearance. STYLE-CASE in standard traffic white (RAL 9016) – moulded from high gloss, easy-to-clean ASA (UL 94 HB) – is particularly suitable for medical technology. It is also available as standard in high-gloss black (RAL 9005) infrared-permeable PMMA for remote control applications.

The enclosures are available in three sizes: S (4.84" x 1.88" x 0.94"), M (5.78" x 2.20" x 1.06") and L (6.53" x 2.51" x 1.22"). To improve ingress protection, seals are available for the main enclosure case body and the battery compartment (as optional accessories). All three sizes have a recessed area in the top part to accommodate a membrane keypad or decor foil.

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Large Housings for Medical Control Units or Displays

Medical control units are often mounted on support arms, round tubes or tripods. Versatile CARRYTEC is suitable for all these mounting options. The enclosure can be simply suspended with a holding clamp (available as an accessory). Thanks to its robust integrated carrying handle, CARRYTEC is also ideal for use as a mobile station, for example as a portable receiver for phone calls or emergency calls to the nursing staff.

CARRYTEC can also be mounted (inverted) on a suspension arm system; the handle makes it easy to manoeuvre the housing to the optimum viewing angle. Thanks to its generous depth, CARRYTEC offers plenty of space for interfaces yet has a slim appearance – and its size makes it ideal for the installation of large displays.

CARRYTEC is available from stock in two colors (lava and off-white RAL 9002) and three sizes: S 8.74" x 8.07" x 3.14", M 10.62" x 9.72" x 3.58" and L 13.70" x 11.92" x 4.60". A slim version – CARRYTEC M (10.62 x 9.72" x 1.65) – is also available, an ideal housing for devices with flatter components. Additional side pockets are available for the S and M versions.

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Small Enclosures For Wearable Medical Devices

The medical industry requires not only large units; demand for small wearable devices is also increasing. They offer a high degree of safety and provide the user with vital information – but are unintrusive and comfortable to wear, causing as little disruption as possible to the everyday life of the user. Runners and other sports enthusiasts have embraced ergonomic wearables that provide information about the route and distance covered, number of calories burned and heart rate. Elderly people and others who are vulnerable are also benefiting from this technology: they can summon an ambulance or nursing staff by pressing by an emergency call button. Simple operation by means of a keypad, touchscreen or button offers the user a degree of control in difficult situations – reinforcing the feeling of security and reducing stress or anxiety.
 
OKW developed BODY-CASE precisely for applications such as these. The enclosure shells are highly polished and are made of high-quality ASA (UL 94 HB) in traffic white (RAL 9016). The matt TPV sealing ring gives BODY-CASE an IP 65 protection rating. This ring is available in vermilion (RAL 2002) and lava (similar to anthracite) as standard. BODY-CASE can be specified in two sizes: M 1.96" x 1.61" x 0.62" and L 2.16" x 1.81" x 0.66". Accessories include a wrist strap, neck lanyard, hand strap, belt/pocket clip and a station for safe storage and inductive charging.

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Customer Medical Equipment Applications

Tuning/Control Knobs for Intensive Care Ventilators

SALVIA medical GmbH & Co. KG specified OKW’s COM-KNOBs for its intensive case ventilator system. These versatile and modern control knobs integrate perfectly with high value equipment such as this. The SALVA intensive care ventilator is for universal use, and assures the ventilation of the patients on the basis of a precise measuring process. Modern microprocessor engineering as well as efficient technology facilitate cost-effective operation and individual ventilation.

With the worldwide Coronavirus crisis, companies such as SALVA are the forefront of the battle to help save lives in hospitals around the world.

View COM-KNOBS range >>

Beating Infections With Antibacterial Colloidal Silver

The antibacterial effect of silver has been known to mankind for thousands of years. Microscopically small silver ions penetrate the cell walls of bacteria, viruses and fungi and destroy their vital functions. However, colloidal silver – a solution of distilled water and silver ions produced by electrolysis – was superseded by the discovery of antibiotics. But now it is back in favour among health-conscious people. The growing resistance of infections to antibiotics may be a further reason for the growing interest in effective alternatives.

goSilver® is a new generation of devices for the production of colloidal silver solution by means of electrolysis. Operation is particularly simple and intuitive. The goSilver device has 16 predefined programs for the most frequently requested concentrations and water quantities. After the required ppm concentration has been reached, the process shuts off automatically – no external switch or timer is required. There is also an option for setting an individual electrolysis duration (limited to a maximum of five hours). A non-slip surface on the underside of the enclosure ensures stability during the electrolysis process.

Compact, convenient goSilver is housed in a CONNECT wired enclosure. The case comprises two shells – one convex, the other flattened with a recessed panel – that snap together with no screws required. Together they provide an ergonomic handheld enclosure that offers plenty of options for mounting USB interfaces and other wired connectors. CONNECT is ideal for the medical sector – notably for wired remote control applications. Accessories include bedrail holding clamps, a wall holder and cable glad kits with integrated strain relief.

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Mobile System for Treating Inner Ear Ailments

Luci Basic features a specially developed laser irradiation device, which is protected by a European patent. This therapy device has been developed especially for use at home. It helps to relieve tinnitus, dizziness and loss of hearing. Its laser penetrates even deeper layers of tissue and has a beneficial and vitalising effect on strained auditory and balance cells in the inner ear. The device can be attached to a belt or worn on your arm with a strap. Luci Basic is compact, easy to clean and offers maximum user comfort.

It is housed in a body-contoured ERGO-CASE that can be worn on the arm, chest or waist. ERGO-CASE’s four sizes (3.22" x 2.20" x 0.94" to 5.90" x 7.87" x 2.12") offer a wide range of mounting options including wrist, hand and belt straps, carrying straps and a belt/pocket clip. Sizes S, M and L are available with (or without) battery compartments – either 2 x AAA (size S) or 4 x AA/1 x 9V/2 x 9V cells (sizes M and L). Size L is also available with a transparent display panel. ERGO-CASE is molded from ABS (UL 94 HB) and can be specified in two standard colors: off-white (RAL 9002) and black (RAL 9005).

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Dry Milling Unit for Foot Care

The podoQ podology miller has integrated dust extraction and a variety of features. Its ergonomically inclined operating panel comes with touch and slider technology, offering not only innovative technology but also modern design.

Reliable operation is guaranteed – even with gloves – and the large colour display offers easy menu navigation. You can save the desired speed and suction settings using three individually programmable memory buttons. Dust extraction is extremely quiet and works with a maintenance-free brushless motor. Large dust bags reduce the need for frequent changes. The low weight of podoQ also makes it ideal for outpatient foot care.

The podoQ is housed in a MEDITEC instrument enclosure. These stylish and versatile housings suit a wide range of desktop, wall mount and portable electronics applications. Strengthening ribs underpin their robust construction. They can be specified with/without a sloping control panel. Options also include a carry handle which doubles as a desk stand that can be adjusted to the optimum viewing angle.

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Get Expert Advice On Enclosures

Contact OKW – the electronic enclosures specialist – for expert technical advice on the best housings for your PCBs and electronic components.

Contact our team and discover how easy it is to specify the perfect enclosures for your electronics.

• Request a free sample
• Register for 3D models (X_T, STP, SAT files) – see how your PCBs will look in your finished enclosures.