Applications
Medtech
A wide range of solutions for clinics and practices: from emergency medicine and prenatal diagnostics to ventilation, anesthesia, surgery and patient monitoring -
we supply components for safe and efficient care.
- ECG systems
- SpO2 monitoring
- Connector system, incl. connector system for defibrillation
- TOCO and ultrasound transducer for cardiotocography (CTG): Monitoring the fetal heart rate and labor activity during pregnancy and birth.
- Patient monitoring - monitoring of vital parameters, ECG
- Handhelds for mobile monitoring technology
- Drug delivery systems
- Flow measurement
- SpO2 monitoring
- Flow measurement, entropy accessories
- SpO2 monitoring
- electrosurgical accessories (handles, cables and plugs for forceps)
- MIS (insufflation)
- ECG/EEG patient cable
- SpO2 blood gas measurement
sample images
Pharmaceuticals
Together with you, we develop intelligent application systems that enable precise and controlled drug release - individually tailored to the needs of a broad patient population from pediatrics to geriatrics. Our goal: safe, effective and personalized therapy.
Diagnostics
For consistent, reliable and reproducible results, you need a partner with experience, precision and vision. We support you in the implementation and industrialization of your product ideas - and together we find solutions to the challenges of point-of-care diagnostics.
Example projects medtech
Case medtech
Development of an angled connector system for emergency medicine
A wide range of solutions for clinics and practices: from emergency medicine and prenatal diagnostics to ventilation, anesthesia, surgery and patient monitoring -
we supply components for safe and efficient care.
Development of an angled plug-in system based on the mini7 and mini12 plug-in system for the specific requirements: dust and splash-proof up to IP64. The connector is supposed to cover cable diameters between 3 mm and 6 mm and therefore needs to be variably designed. Another important criterion for the angled plug was robustness - to meet the requirements of the rescue services.
The previous supplier of the straight connector systems did not consider the desired 90° angle to be feasible; in addition, it only promised to deliver the first prototypes in around 12 months, which threatened to significantly delay the customer's further product development. Thanks to its specialization in cable and connector systems for non-invasive patient monitoring, NICOLAY came into play and was able to deliver demo samples for functional tests shortly after the first meeting. A short time later, a jointly agreed concept was available. The main challenges were the very tight timeframe and the design of a 90° connector that was compactly angled and at the same time robust enough for rescue operations. Further requirements were the usability of the connector for different cable diameters and compliance with the required IP protection class.
- Angled, individually coded connectors:
The successful production of a compactly angled yet robust connector is based on the design of the injection mold for the soft component, because, among other things, the filling behavior and pressure distribution in it must be right. As variants with different diameters at the cable outlet were required, the finished 90° connectors are based on mini7 and mini12, a connector system that NICOLAY developed specifically for medical applications. The reduced size follows the trend towards ever smaller devices. The plug connections for the angled connector system are individually coded - not only in terms of color; they have also been designed so that only the matching plugs and sockets can be connected. A clear safety advantage. - IPX protection class proves high impermeability:
The angled plug system has IPX protection classes IP64 and IP67, meaning it is dustproof and protected against splashing water on all sides and temporary submersion. These high protection classes qualify it for use in the emergency services. This means that the connector systems can be wet-cleaned or disinfected, which ensures a high level of safety in clinical and non-clinical settings. Design background: No moving parts were used at all on the connector side, which means that the connector systems are better protected against germs. The thread with which the connector system is attached and tightly screwed into the front panel has a hard front ring. This is overmolded with a soft TPE component designed as a lip. Connected with a material bond, it provides a reliable seal to the inside. - No locking mechanism means greater application safety:
NICOLAY has completely dispensed with locking mechanisms because they can open a path for liquids into the interior of the system. Instead, the connector systems have been designed so that they lock and unlock using a precisely defined insertion and extraction force. When a certain resistance is overcome, the user notices that the plug is automatically and securely locked in the socket. Apart from the improved tightness, this mechanism proves its worth in everyday use: once a certain pulling force is reached, the plug releases automatically and prevents the cable from being damaged by strong pulling - or, in the worst case, the entire appliance from being knocked to the floor.
Thanks to the angled plug, the device can be kept "slim"; the reduced width makes it easier to use in narrow stairwells, especially in rescue operations. In addition, a more compact device reduces the risk of getting stuck with the plugs and cables on the move. Finally, the individual plug coding prevents the risk of incorrect plugging in the device. Additional color coding also saves time, which can be life-saving in an emergency.
Case medtech
Patient-oriented flow sensors for innovative ventilators
NICOLAY has developed a new sensor-cable combination especially for proximal placement in the ventilation system that combines high-precision measurements with simple and safe handling.
One challenge for manufacturers of modern ventilators is to measure the respiratory gas flow rate as well as the inspiratory and expiratory volume as precisely as possible. This is the only way to provide patient-oriented ventilation and avoid the side effects of unsuitable ventilation settings. Traditionally, the sensors for these measurements are located in the device - and therefore far away from the patient. This leads to inaccuracies, for example if a wide variety of tubes, humidifiers, filters and adapters are used between the sensor and the patient. In addition, every interface brings with it the risk of leaks.
Near-patient measurements eliminate many of these problems that lead to inaccuracies. Device dead spaces - i.e. volumes that do not contribute to ventilation - and leaks are unknown variables that cause the measured flow rates to deviate from the actual ventilated values, sometimes significantly. However, exact values are the only way to ventilate patients appropriately and take individual pathophysiological changes into account on an ongoing basis, which can only be determined proximally.
Case medtech
Development of a double switch and integration of the existing NICOLAY flow sensor connector
A double switch was also developed for neonates, which was integrated into the existing NICOLAY flow sensor connector.
Many neonates initially require respiratory support after birth. Today, CPAP breathing (continuous positive airway pressure) is predominantly used (non-invasive via mask or prongs). With this form of ventilation, it is not possible to reliably assess the tidal volume due to possible mask leakage and dead space. With the help of the double switch, two flow sensors integrated into the breathing circuit are used in parallel, allowing dead space-corrected and leakage-independent measured values to be determined.
