Going mini at world's biggest medical show

Mini battery for portable medical devices smaller than credit card

The doors have now opened at Compamed in Düsseldorf, Germany. Co-hosted with Medica, Compamed is the world's largest medical technology (MedTech) trade show which runs from November 16-19. This year Accutronics are exhibiting its smallest medical battery and charger the CC1150 mini credit card battery and CX3050 desktop charger.   These small batteries target the growing demand for portable medical devices used in hospitals and in home healthcare and can be seen on stand H18 in Hall 8b.

The event will see 728 companies from 37 countries come together with over 17,000 trade visitors in medical technology sectors ranging from nanotechnology and test and instrumentation to certification and medical manufacturing.

The CC1150 mini credit card battery is a 3.7V, 1.15h (4.2Wh) Lithium-ion 2.0A battery measuring just 54mm square and 9.5mm high, occupying just half the footprint of a standard credit card.

Rare in batteries of this size, the CC1150 also features an active electronic protection system that prevents overcharge, over discharge and short circuit, crucial for hands-on environments such as hospitals. In addition, the built-in, high accuracy, impedance tracking, fuel gauge means the CC1150 can track battery status information including remaining capacity (mAh), remaining runtime, percentage charge, battery voltage (mV) and temperature.

"Even though medical devices are getting smaller, battery OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) have been slow to provide devices that pack the same functionality into smaller form factors," explained Neil Oliver, technical marketing manager at Accutronics. "This is why we've developed the CC1150 mini credit card battery and CX3050 charger.

"OEMs can reduce their testing costs and improve return on investment by specifying these units. This range is fully tested to meet the international requirements of IEC62133 and UN38.3 and, because the battery is under 100Wh, further time and costs can be saved during transportation."

The CC1150 mini credit card battery is accompanied by the CX3050, a slimline desktop charger, which allows the battery to be charged separately from the device. "There is a trend among many medical OEMs to use embedded batteries," continued Oliver. "However, for medical devices, it's not always practical to take the entire device to a charging point. For these situations, simply swapping the empty battery for a fully charged one, allows devices to remain in continuous use - this is where our charger really comes into its own."

The CX3050 desktop charger is supplied with a 100-240VAC wall mounted power supply, charging the battery in just 2.5 hours. Built in LEDs indicate power, charging, fully charged and fault conditions. Furthermore, interchangeable AC blades mean the units can be used in the UK, Europe, North America, Australia and China. The CX3050 is also pre-qualified with certification for UL and IEC60950-1 as well as being CE marked. Customers can further customise the casing, labelling and packaging.

Come to meet us on our stand where you can also view many of our custom medical battery and charger solutions (Accupro) and other Entellion products and discuss your upcoming projects - Stand H18 in Hall 8b from 16-19 November.

You may also like to visit the Suppliers Forum in Hall 8b where Neil Oliver will be providing a presentation on 'The Lithium Ion Regulatory Maze' on Tuesday 17th November at 13:15 hrs.

Charging ahead with medical devices

~ Hi-tech medical equipment goes portable with new energy-dense battery ~

Independent battery design, development and manufacturing expert Accutronics has launched a new smart battery that fulfils the needs of manufacturers of high powered medical devices. The CMX series packs a punch - offering high energy density along with high power discharge. Medical OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) can now produce innovative portable devices without compromising on safety and reliability in life-critical applications.

The medical market is a challenging environment, and understandably so. With people's lives on the line it is essential that medical practitioners can rely on their equipment to perform under pressure. The rise in the use of portable devices such as acute ventilators, anaesthesia workstations and intra-oral scanners over the last twelve months has left many medical OEMs struggling to keep pace in the market.

“Part of our branded Entellion range, the CMX meets stringent regulations, demanding development schedules and innovation aims, whilst minimising unit costs," explained Neil Oliver, technical marketing manager at Accutronics.

The battery is available in three versions, using eight, twelve or sixteen '18650' sized cells, with continuous discharge rates of up to 300W. Two voltage platforms are used; 28.8V, which operates between 20.0V and 33.6V and 14.4V, which operates between 10.0V and 16.8V.

Smart features of the CMX series include active and passive protection circuits that prevent over-temperature, over and under-voltage, overload and short circuit.

Forming an essential part of its medical device operation, smart power management means the battery only requests charge when needed and shuts down when not being used. Accurate fuel gauging is possible to 1% through an LCD display, further enhancing reliability.

The new battery complies with the relevant transport regulation, which exists to eliminate the risk of explosion associated with the transport of such energy dense cargo. The CMX series complies with transportation (UN 38.3) and safety (UL2054 2nd ed. and IEC61233:2012) as well as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) regulations (CE and FCC).

The range charges between zero and +40 degrees, discharges between -10 and +50 degrees and can be stored between -20 and +60 degrees. This results in 500 cycles of 80% minimum rated capacity.

Hospitals can now perform routine power management checks without having to remove the medical device from service using the smart charger that accompanies the CMX battery. A single charger can be used for different sized batteries, because the two devices automatically communicate exact voltage requirements.

For customer convenience, two chargers are available to accompany the CMX series, an internal single channel charger and an external dual bay desktop charger, which can also be used for battery calibration.

Whether batteries or chargers, the Entellion range is made to be customised. Options include product labelling and case colours, software setup and SHA-1 algorithmic security, which prevents counterfeit batteries being used under fraudulent warranty claims.

Trust me, I'm a medical device

There is a growing debate surrounding the rise in mobile medical devices. The concern is that the increased reliance on electronic devices to monitor and treat our health becomes dangerous if those very devices become unsafe or unreliable to use. Here, we explore the security and safety of batteries used in our critical medical equipment going forward. 

Medical devices are moving from the once fixed sanctuaries of hospital wards and wandering out into our portable world. The abundance of WiFi, the interconnectivity of electronics and remote information exchange has given rise to the increased portability of the critical devices that monitor our health and provide doctors and paramedics with the tools necessary in delivering flexible and customisable treatment.

However, this rise in portability has created numerous security challenges. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month pushed for improved cyber security when it issued guidelines aimed at helping medical device manufacturers manage cyber security risks as well as "maintain medical device functionality and safety".

The guidelines will decrease the number of incidents of medical devices being hacked, putting the life of patients in jeopardy. Controversies, such as the one reported by former US Vice President Dick Cheney who, fearing assassination, told doctors to turn off the wireless functionality of his pacemaker after it was found that it could be wirelessly hacked, will be avoided.

However, the problem of security is not limited to the wireless capability of devices. A lack of hardware based encryption has already caused widespread concern over the reliability of batteries used in such equipment.

The fact that portable medical devices have to be designed to operate without mains electricity/AC power access necessitates the use of reliable and safe backup-power management systems. Devices such as acute ventilators, portable anaesthesia workstations and intra-oral scanners all need continuous and safe power to protect patient health.

Battery counterfeiting is a problem faced by the medical industry on a scale never before witnessed in the sector. The ready availability of grey market, untested copycat batteries using inferior components means that many life-critical devices used in our hospitals and medical establishments are becoming unreliable and unsafe to use.

Here at Accutronics, we've worked hard to tackle this problem and will be launching a new CMX series of smart batteries and chargers this November. The new range incorporates some innovative features that include SHA-1 hardware encryption, to prevent fake batteries being used with the host device, active and passive protection circuits, accurate fuel gauging, smart charge control and device-to-host communication.

The new batteries can be transported, stored and used safely, without overcharging, over discharging, overloading and short-circuiting. Thermal sensing on the battery triggers alarms if it is too hot; removing it from the circuit if the operating temperature exceeds safe levels.

Smart power management is what makes the CMX range stand out. Whereas other dumb systems that use a fixed-voltage cut off to prevent over-discharge, the intelligent system in the CMX maximises runtime per discharge cycle by telling the host device when to shut down based on highly accurate remaining-capacity prediction.

Visitors to COMPAMED can find out more about how the CMX range will revolutionise the mobile medical market at Accutronics' product launch press conference. The event will be held at 3pm on the 12th of November, 2014 in room 801a off hall 8b at COMPAMED. If you're interested in attending, you can register for free by calling 01785 225416 today.

If you’re unable to make it to Compamed we will also be launching and displaying the new CMX series at ELECTRONICA in Munich between 11th & 14th November in Hall B2 Stand Booth 454.

Secure CMX coming soon

~ Battery firm set to make waves in the medical market ~

UK based battery firm Accutronics is set to vitalise the medical market this autumn when it launches its next range of batteries at COMPAMED in Dusseldorf. The CMX series will be launched at a press conference at COMPAMED, the international trade fair for high tech medical solutions on the 12th of November 2014 at 3pm in Room 801b just off hall 8b.

The medical market is currently undergoing rapid evolution with the likes of portability and freedom from AC power taking centre stage for doctors and emergency services.

COMPAMED is a fitting location for the CMX launch; a leading trade fair for the medical industry, it hosts 700 exhibitors from 40 countries in two exhibition halls taking up 10,000sqm of floor space. The event covers the complete spectrum of medical products, from design and development to manufacturing and servicing. Visitors can expect to network with fellow production managers, engineers, designers, researchers and business leaders from across the sector.

Accutronics will be exhibiting in the main hall 8b on stand F30. The UK based battery firm specialises in the design, development and manufacture of smart batteries for industries ranging from medical, defence, industrial and for the portable, handheld market.

"Without giving too much away, the CMX series launch brings together high voltage, high power and smart battery functionality in a package that exceeds the strict regulatory requirements for batteries used in medical devices," said Rob Phillips, managing director of Accutronics. "The medical device market is currently undergoing rapid growth and the CMX series offers tremendous opportunities for OEMs developing devices for life critical applications."

The launch will spark interest from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the medical sector, which is already familiar with similarly innovative launches from Accutronics in the past. Previous products include a credit card sized battery for handheld portable medical devices and a multi-battery system for powering medical carts. All are part of the customisable Entellion range, which also offers algorithmic security to prevent the use of unauthorised, copycat batteries.