Charging ahead in innovation

~Accutronics celebrates a year of innovation at America's largest medical technology show~

Smart batteries for medical devices

International battery manufacturer Accutronics will join thousands of medical industry suppliers and
service providers at MD&M West, on February 10-12, 2015 in Anaheim, California, where the British company will showcase the latest products from its Entellion range. Accutronics can be found in Hall E at Booth 412.

The theme of the 2015 conference is a celebration of 30 years of medtech innovation, and this year British manufacturer Accutronics has proven it is more than up for the challenge. During 2014, the independent battery expert launched two new products to add to its range of smart portable power products, both of which will be exhibited at the event.

Most recently, Accutronics introduced the CMX Series, a range of innovative smart batteries and chargers. With the increase in the use of portable medical devices, such as acute ventilators and anaesthesia workstations, the new smart battery fulfils the needs of manufacturers of high powered medical devices.

During the summer the company also introduced the CX6100, an innovative desktop charger for its groundbreaking credit card battery range. The new charger has a rapid charge capability and can be used around the world, thanks to its wall mounted power supply. The credit card battery range provides OEMs with a rechargeable range of Lithium Ion professional batteries for portable and wearable medical devices.

"The medical market is a challenging environment and there's a constant demand on medical OEMs to produce innovative portable devices," explained Rob Phillips, managing director of Accutronics.

"Thanks to our understanding of the market requirements we've been able to develop a range that meets the need for high energy density and high power discharge, without compromising on safety and reliability in life-critical applications."

At the event, the Accutronics team will showcase its skills in the design, development and manufacturing of medical batteries and smart chargers. On display will be the complete Entellion range of products which bridge the gap between standard off-the-shelf products and a custom design with inherent development fees, saving customers time and money. The range can easily be customised with options including 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.

High-five for high-power

Tackling the rise in demand for portable medical devices delivering high-rate power discharge, battery specialist Accutronics will be launching a new CMX range on 12 November, 2014 at COMPAMED, the international medical trade show held in Dusseldorf, Germany. In anticipation of the launch, we explore the world of portable power.

Speed is of the essence in life-critical applications. Usually, ambulance crews will transport heart-attack patients to the hospital's emergency ward as soon as possible. However, a leading UK Accident & Emergency doctor recently called for patients to be treated by paramedics until their heart starts beating or they die.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, Dr Benger says that it, "may be actively harmful" to rush cardiac arrest patients to hospital. Because there is only a short time-window of around 50 minutes before permanent brain damage sets in, it is vital that treatment is provided quickly and effectively.

The last few years have seen an increased demand in mobile technology used in hospitals and in the field. Specialised stroke emergency mobile (STEMO) ambulances fitted with portable CT scanners cut the alarm-to-treatment period to just 25 minutes. Acute ventilators, portable anaesthesia workstations and intra-oral scanners are other examples of medical equipment breaking free from the traditional mains power supply.

However, the challenge with these devices is the high-rate power delivery required to operate reliably. The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa has highlighted the challenge of transporting patients from one part of the world to another. Medical equipment used in the transport of patients must be capable of operating with limited resource for electricity, water and compressed gas.

On September 4, 2014, in response to the Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued guidelines for medical equipment donated for use in the field. The guidelines reinforce the necessity for devices to use high-quality backup power, with current stabilisation, surge protection and uninterrupted power supplies to protect against blackouts and unsustainable mains power.

To overcome these problems, here at Accutronics we've developed a new CMX smart-battery range specifically for high-power applications. Capable of accurate fuel gauging, built to international regulatory standards (IEC62133, UL2054) and offering device-to-host communication for continuous swappable power, the new range will be especially useful in the increasingly dynamic nature of modern hospital care.

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. Alternatively you can view and discuss the new product range in Hall 8b Stand F30 where Accutronics will be exhibiting. 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 and 14th November in Hall B2 Stand Booth 454.

MD&M East gets charged over charger

~ Accutronics launches Entellion credit card battery charger at East Coast’s largest medical technology show ~

International battery manufacturer Accutronics will join thousands of medical industry suppliers and service providers at MD&M East, on June 10-12 in New York, where the British company will launch an innovative desktop charger for its groundbreaking credit card battery range. 

The new charger, called the CX6100, is the perfect accessory for charging Entellion CC2300 and CC3800 credit card batteries. The single bay desktop charger has a rapid charge capability and can be used around the world, thanks to its wall mounted power supply, which is delivered complete with various interchangeable AC blades. Credit card batteries and chargers are pre-tooled and pre-qualified and therefore get device OEMs to market faster.

Accutronics’ credit card battery range provides OEMs with a rechargeable range of off-the-rack Lithium Ion professional batteries for portable and wearable medical devices.

The CX6100 charges a CC2300 battery in around 3.5 hours and a CC3800 battery in around 5.5 hours. LED indicators on the charger provide the charge status. Powered by an AC/DC power supply, it comes with adapters for use in the USA, Europe, UK, Australia and China.

“As with all our products, we’ve designed this charger specifically for OEMs,” explained Accutronics managing director Rob Phillips. “A good example of our understanding of an OEM’s needs is our ability to produce customised versions for customers with very little additional cost. Once the custom design is agreed we will not modify the fit, form or function of the battery or charger without our customer’s prior knowledge and express permission. This gives the OEM the confidence that it will always remain compliant with their device and prevents any regulatory compliance or quality issues.”

The range of credit card batteries that the unit charges have been tested to and meet the requirements of the UN Model Regulations and the Manual of Tests and Criteria (ST/SG/AC.10.11 §38.3), meaning they are ready to be offered for transportation without any additional testing or expense.

The battery range also meets the requirements of IEC62133:2002 and a CB test certificate is available upon request. Compliance to this standard is becoming a requirement for many devices and is already mandatory for medical instruments certified to EN60601-1 third edition.

The charger itself is certified to UL60950-1 and is CE marked. As with Accutronics’ credit card batteries, the CX6100 can be modified to meet specific OEM requirements. Supplied in cool gray as standard, the case colour, labelling and packaging can all be customised.