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Across industry, there is a concerted and accelerating trend towards miniaturization, and nowhere more so than in the medical device sector, where demand for minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment devices is growing exponentially. Very often these smaller and smaller devices are becoming more and more complex, and the search is on for medical device OEMs to locate manufacturing processes that can keep up with their exacting requirements. When it comes to the manufacture of metal precision medical devices, the role of photo etching is growing in the medical sector, due to its unique process characteristics, and the fact that in many instances it is the only process that can achieve the results demanded in what are sometimes extreme and safety critical applications. This article looks at the photo etching process, and analyses its use in the medical device sector through reference to some real time industrial case studies. Photo etching is stimulating innovation in medical product design as it pushes at the boundaries of what has previously been perceived as possible in metal manufacturing.
Broadly speaking, the $130 billion medical device sector is likely to be affected by three key trends in the short to medium term. First, the drive for technology focused on earlier and more accurate diagnostics; second, advances in IT/e-health technologies; and third -- and perhaps most importantly -- the miniaturization of devices.
In the medical device sector, OEMs are constantly searching for new and innovative solutions, key market drivers being the ability to produce efficient and ever smaller devices that are cost-effective to produce, and that can be manufactured in volume and to strict time-to-market parameters. Also of vital concern is the fact that these novel devices are often developed for highly regulated sectors, requiring that any partner in device development is also equipped with the knowledge necessary to navigate the regulatory hoops in a timely fashion, while at the same time ensuring compliance with an array of quality standards.
Without a doubt, across industry in general it is the medical device sector that is at the forefront of the drive towards miniaturization. In the medical device industry, the usual advantages of making smaller parts (such as reduced material usage, reduced weight, and reduced cost) are exacerbated by the requirement for...