The flexible printed circuit (FPC) manufacturer has said it is responding to a cross-industry requirement for greater functionality in smaller and lighter package spaces. Medical instrumentation is a clear example of this trend with increased use of robotics in surgery, rapid growth in medical wearables and the growing range of applications for medical catheters.
Catheters are key tools in modern hospitals and are used in a growing number of procedures, including treatment of life-threatening lesions, plaque removal from arteries, structural heart procedures, delivery of artificial valves and prevention of potentially fatal brain aneurysms.
To address such a diverse and sophisticated range of applications, catheters have evolved into complex instruments that incorporate electronic components such as microchips, storage devices and cameras.
Advanced FPCs are ideal for catheter construction with their ability to be fed inside a catheter without introducing bulges, along with their flexing characteristics and their significant weight, size and mechanical strength advantages when compared with traditional wiring techniques.
“Medical technology is undergoing a fundamental transformation, driven by the IoT and ongoing miniaturisation of electronics,” said Trackwise CEO, Philip Johnston. “Advanced medical instruments such as catheters and scanners require a wide range of high precision, lightweight and cost-effective FPCs. Our ultra-thin FPCs have a unique combination of very fine traces – less than 50μm – but they can be manufactured to any required length. Our commitment to the medical instruments sector is highlighted by our ongoing investments in an upgraded clean room and also in a reel-to-reel direct imaging process which is capable of supporting the very high-resolution demands of medical devices”.
Trackwise delivers flexible and rigid printed circuit boards of any length with high levels of quality, precision and consistency.
