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.

Whitepaper addresses medical battery technology

British battery manufacturer Accutronics is making available for download its latest whitepaper, which tackles the issues facing battery design, development and use in the medical and healthcare field. The intention is that it will help Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) better understand the possibilities and limitations of rechargeable battery technology in designing products for the medical sector.

The paper is free to download and aims to inform its readers on three main areas of recent battery design interest. The first is a growing phenomenon dubbed the Apple expectation. It explores the convergence of consumer and professional medical devices and how fitness and health monitoring apps designed by large consumer electronics companies such as Apple and Samsung are impacting on the professional medical industry. 

The second topic looks at digital radiography (DR) and the increasing challenge to design batteries for modern DR applications that still use analogue equipment. This second piece looks at the latest innovations in digital film processing, the essential features of smart batteries, as well as the regulatory and compliance issues of designing, manufacturing and testing medical devices for worldwide distribution. 

Finally, the paper discusses the eHealth revolution, a trend that has witnessed an explosion in the use of smartphones, fitness bands and other wearable technology to monitor acute healthcare conditions in an increasingly ageing population. The piece goes on to look at high profile hospital trials of health apps to monitor patient health, as well as the cost savings the NHS can make from earlier cancer diagnosis.

“We have seen an increasing trend towards smaller, more portable battery solutions in all industries and especially in the medical field,” said Michele Windsor, marketing manager at Accutronics. “With this shift, there has been raised concern about reliable solutions for practitioners in hospitals and other areas where the need for reliable and long-lasting batteries is essential.

“We want to alleviate concerns about battery solutions and ensure that OEMs are informed about the choices they can make so they will not have to rely on inferior, consumer grade batteries.”

To download the new whitepaper for free go to http://bit.ly/HealthcareWP

The credit card battery goes mini - Battery specialist launches its smallest ever, sub credit-card sized, battery

Global battery manufacturer Accutronics has launched its smallest ever medical battery and charger set. The CC1150 mini credit card battery meets the trend in the medical and instrumentation sectors for the growing use of portable and handheld devices.

Having already built a reputation for delivering the latest in smart battery technology for the medical sector, Accutronics' new mini credit-card battery, the CC1150, occupies around half the footprint of a conventional credit card. Measuring in at 54mm square and 9.5mm high, it fits perfectly into smaller, handheld, devices with ease.

Featuring a state of the art impedance tracking fuel gauge, the CC1150 is equipped with an I²C interface, simplifying its integration into the device. Enhanced circuitry provides further protection against over charge, over discharge, over current and short circuit.

"OEMs making handheld devices will be pleased to hear that, with the CC1150 mini, we've not only halved the size of the standard credit card battery, but we've also packed it with the same powerful features as its predecessor," explained Neil Oliver, technical marketing manager at Accutronics. "At the same time, we've still met the vital IEC 62133 safety requirements for batteries manufactured for use in portable applications, as well as UN38.3 transportation regulations.

"To make it a truly global battery, we've accompanied the CC1150 with a new charger, the CX3050, which works anywhere in the world thanks to its AC power adapter and interchangeable blades. For portable and handheld devices, fast charging is just as important as long battery life, so we designed the CX3050 to charge the CC1150 in under 2.5 hours," concluded Oliver.

Both the battery and the CX3050 charger are available off-the-shelf in black and feature Entellion branding. Users can request custom colours, labels and packaging.

Launched in 2011, Accutronics' range of credit card batteries are targeted to meet the needs of medical and instrumentation original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who need a small, off-the-shelf, Lithium-ion smart battery.

Four years after development, the credit-card range of batteries are now used widely in applications ranging from industrial laser measurement devices to medical infusion pumps. Other innovations such as desktop charging have given users the flexibility to charge batteries outside of their devices.

Standing on the precipice looking down

Have you seen the film Sliding Doors? In the movie, Gwyneth Paltrow's love life and career hinge on one defining moment; whether or not she catches a train. I recently had my own Sliding Doors moment, that illustrated how design for medical devices can easily go in two very different directions.

by Rob Phillips

Smart batteries for medical devices

I was recently invited to a supplier day by an OEM, where the plastics, fan motherboard and smart battery providers got together with the design engineers from the client to talk over a new project. I call this type of gathering a precipice meeting; it allows you to work together as a team, standing on the edge of a precipice before the project truly begins.

In the 'bad old days' suppliers in each of those categories were usually pitted against each other, one manufacturer played off against the other, and the purchasing team would try to pick out good ideas from the various proposals.

Today, the modern precipice meeting is smarter and more inclusive, allowing suppliers to prove their worth by creating the most functional solution, not simply the cheapest. The purchasing people are partnered more effectively with the designers, which can only be a positive when it comes to the end product.

Life-critical applications
Medical technology is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and, because medical devices and equipment can be life-critical, they demand designs which are innovative, but also safe and reliable. During the early stage of the design process it's invaluable to share ideas of best practice and discuss the possible pitfalls. The input produced can have a huge impact on the design and its ultimate success.

Design engineers are clued-up when it comes to their product as a whole, but they can't be expected to be an authority on every component of the design. As battery experts we believe that OEMs should not be shackled by commodity batteries and we relish the chance to align ourselves with creative manufacturers. For us, a huge amount of energy and anticipation goes into every project and it's exciting to play our part in delivering a new generation of medical device.

Sharing ideas
Of course, it requires an element of trust between each of the members of the group, because they share their intellectual property, but the end result is a better environment and product for all involved. It's not just the design engineer who comes away with new ideas, having different manufacturers in the room means that you can all gain insights into areas outside your sphere of activity.


Precipice meetings are true Sliding Doors moments. They are an opportunity to test a project and fix the potential problems a long time before manufacturing begins. I'm sure Gwyneth Paltrow and the rest of the team behind the movie would approve.

Pre-qualified batteries speed up medical device design

~ New VR range makes integration simple for design engineers ~

Accutronics, the UK-based battery specialist, has launched a new range of pre-qualified and pre-tested batteries. The new customisable VR420 batteries are ideal for applications such as medical equipment and industrial electronics. The range is designed, developed and manufactured by Accutronics in the UK and meets all relevant safety, performance and transportation standards. 

The new 14.4V batteries utilise the latest Lithium Ion technology, delivering high volumetric and gravimetric energy density so that equipment runs for longer yet weighs less.

Furthermore, the VR420 includes a SMBus (System Management Bus), SBS (Smart Battery System) compliant impedance tracking fuel gauge that allows the
battery to communicate pertinent battery data between itself, a smart host and a smart charger. When configured in a product, the host equipment is able to easily request dynamic information from the battery such as runtime to empty, cycle count and discharge current as well as static information such as serial number, manufacturer name and part number. This data allows the customers device to better manage its own power which can increase device runtimes and reduce the number of premature device shutdowns. Additionally, a five bar LED display on the battery case allows the user to easily determine the state of charge in simple 20% increments.

The VR420 includes its own active and passive protection devices which prevent it from being over-charged, over-discharged or overloaded in an abuse condition. Holding safety certification to IEC62133 and UL2054, the VR420 is easily designed into new devices with minimal time and cost.

Designed for rugged work environments the VR420 features a black flame retardant plastic housing which includes a polarised rail feature down either side so the VR420 can be slid into a host device with minimal effort.

Transportation of the VR420 is simplified as the product has a stored energy of less than 100 Watt-Hours and it has been independently certified to the Manual of Tests and Criteria (ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev5) section 38.3.

“The VR420 is a truly powerful product” said Neil Oliver, Technical Marketing Manager at Accutronics. “The particular combination of Lithium ion cells, smart battery electronics and innovative enclosure design are class leading and mean that the VR420 can be used to power a wide range of professional products in both industrial and medical markets” he added.

The VR420 is available in two versions; VR420A and VR420B, supplying 6.2Ah and 4.4Ah respectively. The ‘A’ version provides highest capacity, whilst the ‘B’ option is optimised for higher discharge applications such as motor driven ventilators, where a considerable amount of power is required quickly.

The VR420A and VR420B can be purchased off the shelf or customised to suit a particular customer need. “Accutronics have designed and manufactured the ‘Entellion’ range of products with our customers in mind. When customers require special software, their own labelling or a change in plastic colour to match their device, these can all be easily accommodated” said Michele Windsor, Marketing Manager at Accutronics. “As the product has already been designed tooled and certified the times and costs usually involved for customisation are far less than for a purely customised design – the customisation approach gives the customer what they want with minimal investment” she concluded.

High Energy Lithium ion solution provides hot swap functionality

~ IPV can be shipped under transportation regulations ~

Intelligent Power Vault

Critical equipment and applications that need to run continuously cannot rely solely on mains supply; additional energy solutions in the form of battery backup are also required. To this end Accutronics, the UK's leading independent battery design, development and manufacturing company, has launched the Intelligent Power Vault (IPV), a high energy density lithium-ion battery system. The product is an ideal solution for applications where energy reliability, flexibility and safety are paramount, such as medical & industrial applications. 

Over the past ten years, Lithium Ion battery technology has become the default choice for powering portable electronic devices as it provides longer runtimes and lower weight than older chemistries such as nickel cadmium (NiCad), nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) and lead acid.

However, the transportation of Lithium Ion batteries by air, sea and road is heavily regulated and Lithium Ion batteries must pass mandatory transportation tests before they can be shipped. Once tested, these batteries must be packed in accordance with strict packaging and paperwork requirements and limitations are placed on the number and weight of batteries shipped. Batteries with energy in excess of 100Wh have additional restrictions placed upon them which can make their transport costly for the company or individual trying to ship the battery.

Listening to OEMs' requirements Accutronics has created an off the shelf, modular battery system that draws energy from removable, sub 100Wh Lithium Ion smart batteries and feeds them through a central controller. This allows an energy system with less than 100Wh to be manufactured whilst still complying with transportation regulations. Up to eight batteries can be built into one system, providing in excess of 700Wh.

Intelligent Power Vault™ is a power management device that uses multiple Li-ion smart batteries to provide rechargeable battery power to a wide range of devices. The hot-swappable smart battery technology represents a revolutionary way of storing energy for critical applications.  Modularisation offers the high energy density and flexibility of smart Lithium-Ion battery technology with reduced shipping limitations.

The Intelligent Power Vault™ consists of a control module on the exterior and slots for between two and eight battery modules. Each of the individual modules contained in the Intelligent Power Vault™ is a compact 86.4Wh rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, called the VR420.  Special brackets for mounting in a 19 inch rack are available for units configured with eight batteries.

The loading system allows batteries to be easily removed for transportation without the need for tools. Once taken out of the rack, the individual batteries are excepted from shipping regulations and can be shipped with the Intelligent Power Vault™ under a UN packing instruction that allows the shipment of Lithium Ion batteries with less than 100Wh with equipment.

As a result, the Intelligent Power Vault™ can be transported anywhere by air, sea or road without the cost and complexity associated with dangerous goods shipping.

The Intelligent Power Vault™ has been successfully employed in a variety of high tech applications.  Weighing less than 8kg, the Intelligent Power Vault™ with eight batteries is two and a half times lighter than an equivalent lead acid battery, making it easy for the integrator to build it into the base of the trolley or cart.

The Intelligent Power Vault™ is also used in high-end automated laboratory equipment where power failure cannot be tolerated. Other applications include 3D dental scanners, communications equipment and embedded computing devices - mainly industrial PCs and robotic backup.

“Battery backup can be portable, cost effective and reliable, provided the right technologies are used," explained Michele Windsor, direct sales and marketing manager at Accutronics. "Unsurprisingly, consumer style energy solutions are not the best way of achieving this and they can’t be relied upon to support critical applications", she concluded.

Lithium-Ion battery technology allows OEMs to guarantee the safety and reliability of the end product, with flexibility and ease of use in mind.  And, unlike other similar energy solutions, the IPV can be easily shipped, without any transportation complications or delays.