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NICOLAY Blog
Input. Output.

On our blog, we will regularly report on customised cables, connectors and sensors for non-invasive patient applications such as monitoring and diagnostics.
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Medical devices and cables, connectors and sensors

It’s the cable that counts. In non-invasive patient monitoring and diagnostics, cables, connectors and sensors play a critical role in the quality of the data collected and transmitted and are therefore crucial to patient health.

VITAL FLOW SENSORS FOR PREMATURE BABIES

One final example from the field of neonatology perhaps most vividly illustrates our intense focus on customer needs: the development of the NICOLAY two-way valve. What sounds unspectacular at first is actually the solution for determining the essential respiratory volume in point-of-care flow sensors and thus for reliably monitoring non-invasive ventilation. It is used for the non-invasive ventilation of premature babies, who are thus spared the need for an endotracheal tube. As you can see, it’s not just ECG devices that protect lives. Read more about this solution here.

FROM ACCESSORIES TO OEM SOLUTION

The development and production of the smartPen electrode handpieces for KLS Martin is another prime example of the close cooperation between our company and our customers. The aim was to replace a multitude of different grips with a single monopolar high-frequency surgical handpiece design, while simultaneously being exceptionally robust and powerful. Instead of the usual 100, they needed to be designed for 350 preparation cycles, and at least one version needed to have a power rating of up to 10 kVp according to IEC 601. And these were just some of the challenges that had to be overcome. In this case, NICOLAY succeeded in finding and engaging new suppliers in China within tight time and cost constraints, as well as in developing a design whose ergonomic benefits literally fit comfortably in the hand. Manufacturing was carried out in an efficient single-line assembly process. The result is an OEM solution that is available to the market and today takes care of cutting and coagulation in high-frequency surgical devices – with one button, two buttons or with a rocker. The smartPen product family is more than just accessories. It offers genuine added value for surgical instruments and medical devices in the field of HF surgery.

MEDICAL PRODUCTS – A CATEGORY OF ITS OWN

In the field of medical technology, companies that regard devices as brands do not simply supply accessories for them, but play a role in securing their added value. This particularly starts with meeting requirements that other suppliers pass on. For example, when it comes to unusual connector geometries that not every cable manufacturer can realise. Our mini7/mini12 connector system developed and manufactured for the Jenny system from MS Westfalia is a prime example of this. With IP64 protection from dust ingress and water spray and variably designed cable outlets from approx. 3 mm to 6 mm, it is already in a class of its own. But above all, the 90° angle requested by MS Westfalia was a challenge that the previous supplier did not consider feasible. With its reduced size, our mini7/mini12 connector system is now used in increasingly compact medical devices precisely where every centimetre saved counts – during rescue operations to save lives in extremely confined spaces, such as in narrow stairwells, in ambulances, etc. You can learn more about this here.