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.

Rechargeable Batteries for Medical Devices

Portable medical devices have benefitted hugely from various advanced technologies which were initially developed for consumer electronic devices such as notebook computers and smart phones, when coupled with these enabling technologies they are being developed faster, made easier to use, and now perform more reliably than ever before.

One continuing complaint from consumers is ‘battery life’. If the battery in your notebook computer runs out while you are writing a report it is annoying, if the battery fuel gauge on your smartphone jumps instantly from 25% to 0% and then shuts off while you are on the train home then it can be frustrating – but in either case no real harm is done. However if a doctor in a hospital is transporting a patient connected to a battery powered portable ventilator or, similarly a paramedic is working on a patient in the street using a battery powered aspirator, then the batteries used to power the portable medical equipment must be completely reliable or patient care could be at risk.  These batteries must work each and every time and never let the medical professional, or their patients down when they need them most.

 

 

Regulatory Framework

Until recently the regulatory framework surrounding the use of batteries in medical devices was poor. There was little or no regulation regarding testing requirements for batteries and it was down to the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and the battery integrator to work out an agreed quality, safety and performance standard for the battery.

Today, the medical device standard IEC60601-1 (3^rd edition) requires that most battery powered medical devices have their batteries (and the cells within them) tested to IEC62133, which has the catchy title of “Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes - Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary cells, and for batteries made from them, for use in portable applications”. In addition, Lithium ion batteries (and the cells within them) must be tested to ensure they are safe for transport, and of course, the relevant electromagnetic compatibility standards must be met to allow for CE marking.

Of course, the long arm approach of purchasing a product that has met the relevant regulatory standards does not alone ensure a reliable and safe product.  The device OEM has the responsibility of selecting and partnering with a battery integrator who has a proven track record in the development and manufacture of batteries for medical devices – ones that are also certified to ISO13485 demonstrate they have the correct quality management procedures in place and will furthermore strive for the continuous improvements required for the medical device industry.

 

The need for a professional battery Integrator

A good battery integrator will advise the OEM on the correct battery chemistry to use.  Most OEM customers would simply specify ‘Lithium Ion’ because of its high gravimetric and volumetric energy density, but few realise the term is actually a catch-all for a wide number of different cells types that encompass different cell chemistries, cell manufacturing techniques and physical form factors. Selecting the wrong cell type can be very costly indeed and can result in poor performance, customer dissatisfaction or even product recall.

 

The Smart Battery

Understanding how much runtime remains is vital for users of portable medical devices. If a medical professional cannot rely on the battery fuel gauge then they lose confidence in their ability to use the device away from the AC supply and suffer from runtime anxiety – the worry that they cannot complete their task before the battery energy is depleted.

A good battery integrator will gain a deep understanding of how the medical device will be used and design an electronic fuel gauge system into the battery which constantly tracks the charge, rest and discharge activity. These electronic systems factor-in the prevailing environmental conditions and even the age of the battery to provide a runtime prediction which can be as accurate as ±1%. This runtime prediction is automatically communicated to the device which then displays it in a format the user can easily understand – the battery will even communicate warnings when runtime becomes critical so the user can take action and charge the battery or replace it with another.

As safety is paramount, a battery integrator will include active protection circuitry into the design. These protection circuits monitor the voltage of each cell in the battery and prevent its charge or discharge if one or more cells is in an over-charge or over-discharge condition. The battery is also protected against over temperature conditions or if discharge currents exceed predetermined levels. Industry best practise dictates that secondary over-charge protection is included when designing Lithium Ion batteries to prevent them from becoming unsafe should both the charger and active protection fail. Secondary over-charge protection activates a non-resettable fuse, permanently preventing further operation.

 

Conclusion

The market for portable medical devices is growing rapidly and the increased regulation surrounding the batteries that power them can only help to ensure the devices are safer and more reliable than in the past.

Battery integrators continue to play an important part in providing OEMs with the best battery technology available which allows medical professionals to take their equipment and skills closer to their patients where they can make a real difference - after all, the outcome for the patient is what matters most.

Neil Oliver
Technical Marketing Manager

Sichere CMX-Serie bald verfügbar

~ Akkuhersteller sorgt auf medizinischem Markt für Aufsehen ~

Der in Großbritannien ansässige Akkuhersteller Accutronics wird im Herbst dieses Jahres mit der Einführung seiner neuen Akkuserie auf der COMPAMED in Düsseldorf im medizinischen Bereich neue Impulse setzen. Die CMX-Serie wird bei einer Pressekonferenz auf der COMAPMED, der internationalen Fachmesse für medizinische Hightech-Lösungen, am 12. November 2014 um 15:00 Uhr in Raum 801b bei Messehalle 8b, präsentiert.

Auf dem sich schnell verändernden medizinischen Markt stehen Entwicklungen wie Portabilität und Einsatz von Geräten ohne Netzstrom durch Ärzte und Notdienste derzeit im Mittelpunkt.

Die COMPAMED, die führenden Fachmesse der medizinischen Branche, ist der passende Ort für die Einführung der CMX-Serie. In zwei Messehallen mit insgesamt 10.000 m² Standfläche werden 700 Aussteller aus 40 Ländern vertreten sein. Die Veranstaltung deckt das komplette Spektrum von medizinischen Produkten ab, von Design und Entwicklung bis hin zur Herstellung und Wartung. Besucher können auf der Messe mit Produktionsleitern, Ingenieuren, Konstrukteuren, Forschungsmitarbeitern und führenden Persönlichkeiten aus der Branche zusammentreffen.

Accutronics stellt in Haupthalle 8b auf Stand F30 aus. Das in Großbritannien ansässige Unternehmen spezialisiert sich auf Entwurf, Entwicklung und Herstellung von intelligenten Akkus für Branchen wie Medizin, Verteidigung, Industrie sowie den Markt der portablen Handheld-Geräte.

„So viel sei verraten: Die neue CMX-Serie vereint hohe Spannung, hohe Leistung und intelligente Akkufunktionen in einem Paket, das über die strengen behördlichen Anforderungen hinausgeht, die an für medizinische Geräte bestimmte Akkus gestellt werden,“ erklärte Rob Phillips, Managing Director von Accutronics. „Der Markt der medizinischen Geräte verzeichnet zurzeit ein rasantes Wachstum und die CMX-Serie bietet enorme Möglichkeiten für OEMs, die Geräte für lebenskritische Anwendungen entwickeln.“

Die Einführung wird bei Erstausrüstern (OEMs) im medizinischen Bereich auf großes Interesse stoßen. Accutronics hat in der Vergangenheit bereits ähnlich innovative neue Produkte für diesen Markt präsentiert. Hierzu gehörten u. a. ein kreditkartengroßer Akku für portable medizinische Handheld-Geräte und ein Multi-Akkusystem zur Stromversorgung von medizinischen Gerätewagen. Alle Produkte sind Teil zur anpassbaren Entellion-Serie, die auch algorithmenbasierte Sicherheitsfunktionen bietet, um die Verwendung unautorisierter Nachahmer-Akkus zu verhindern.

FAA approves lithium-ion batteries for A350 Airbus aircraft

Excellent news from Airbus  - they have approval from the FAA to use Lithium Ion batteries on their A350 aircraft. There was concern that the incidents experienced by Boeing would forever prevent Airbus from moving forward with the modernisation of their aircraft battery platforms.

 

The weight and power advantages of Lithium ion batteries in aircraft are so huge compared with traditional Nickel based technologies that this is the only sensible way forward. It looks like Airbus have learnt the lessons from Boeing and can always revert back to Nickel Cadmium if they really have to - but I don't see that being a problem if they have they have done their homework...

Read the article in ESP here...

Neil Oliver

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.

A designer's headache

At the end of March, Sataya Nadella the new CEO of Microsoft gave his first keynote speech only 52 days into his new role. Speaking at the company’s Cloud conference, also dubbed the ‘Office for iPad’ event, he expressed Microsoft’s vision for mobile and cloud computing moving forward. Here, Neil Oliver of Accutronics considers the implications of advancing consumer technology for designers of medical devices that rely on battery size reduction.

It was a bold but necessary step. Microsoft’s ethos of traditional fixed-unit computing has struggled to compete in recent years with the sheer intensity of competition offered up by the likes of Apple, Samsung and Google. Rapid innovation of powerful mobile operating systems, that offer more portable productivity solutions, has left the software giant reeling.

The trend towards mobile devices is nothing new. Having experienced a seismic shift, the industry has gained momentum in cycles over the last twenty years. We have now reached a point where mobile users outnumber desktops, laptops and Internet users, combined.

However, there are drawbacks to such fast paced innovation. The traditionally linear product development has morphed into a vicious cycle of ever increasing consumer expectations, in conjunction with an increased competition to reduce the time to market for each device-iteration.

This has left designer’s scratching their heads. Design objectives that seemed impossible to implement only a few years ago, are now the norm. As a result, user expectations are getting higher and higher. As customers we want bigger screen sizes, with higher resolutions, packed into thinner, more lightweight devices, with lower price points and long run times.

This is as true in the world of professional batteries for medical devices as it is the consumer environment.

In a typical product development lifecycle, industrial and product design consultants are drafted in at the concept stages. The consultants usually specialise in areas such as ergonomics, electronics or even manufacturing readiness. The power solution, in the form of the battery design, is often an afterthought in this process.

Because ergonomics and manufacturing have taken a front and centre seat in meeting consumer requirements, the consultants brought in, don’t always have the most up to date skills in battery technology. It is for this reason that, whilst device design has moved forward, design engineers often struggle to meet the ever tightening requirements for batteries.

However, by relegating the battery solution to an afterthought we risk limiting the options available to designers, making a battery that is truly fit for purpose less likely. By limiting the volume, thickness, weight and material availability, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) may have to compromise in other areas. These variables can directly influence factors such as cell selection, robustness, runtime, efficient operating temperatures, reliability and total life.

Not considering these issues at the design stage could spell disaster in the long term.

The first consequence is as a result of shaving millimetres off the device and thus battery size. For instance, single-cell Lithium-ion batteries in consumer devices such as phones and tablets are being encased in increasingly thinner packaging. This means that accidentally dropping your phone could rupture the battery casing, causing a short circuit. Although extremely unlikely, this could cause the battery to heat up and even explode.

Although an extreme example, a more likely consequence in a medical device would be an inefficient discharge rate at low operating temperatures. Medical devices used outdoors by rescue teams are a prime example. Whilst OEMs seek to market their devices as capable of operating from -20 to +60 degrees Celsius, designers struggle to optimise batteries to perform effectively at both extremes.

For example, a battery optimised for low temperature discharge, will struggle to maintain efficiency in high temperatures, and vice versa. This also means that accurate fuel gauging becomes difficult; creating a potentially hazardous problem for medical and life-critical devices.

Another challenge is device weight. The consequence of pursuing the thinnest and lightest device is that OEMs ultimately compromise on run-time and battery lifetime.

A battery’s energy density is directly proportional to its volume and mass. By reducing the weight of the battery, and subsequently its energy, the runtime is lowered. Even Lithium-ion batteries, which offer the highest energy density commercially available, will struggle to cater for customer expectations in this environment.

Here at Accutronics, we’ve found that the easiest solution to overcome these problems is to work with OEMs at the concept stages to build in requirements for reliable and robust battery design. This helps to achieve a good balance between innovative design and battery performance. It’s a process that market leaders like Microsoft would surely applaud, particularly given Nadella’s focus on mobile first.

Laddare ger bärbar strömförsörjning ett lyft

~ Accutronics lanserar Entellion-laddaren för batterier av kreditkortsstorlek på den globala marknaden ~

Den internationella batteritillverkaren Accutronics har lanserat en innovativ skrivbordsladdare i sitt banbrytande sortiment av batterier av kreditkortsstorlek. Den nya laddaren heter CX6100 och är det perfekta tillbehöret för att ladda Entellion-batterier av kreditkortsstorlek av modell CC2300 och CC3800. 

Denna snabba laddare har plats för ett batteri och kan tack vare den väggmonterade strömförsörjningen användas i hela världen. Den levereras komplett med flera olika utbytbara AC-stift. Batterier av kreditkortsstorlek och tillhörande laddare är förarbetade och förkvalificerade och får därför ut enhets-OEM:er på marknaden snabbare.

Accutronics sortiment av batterier av kreditkortsstorlek ger OEM:er uppladdningsbara litiumjonbatterier av högsta kvalitet som är klara att användas till bärbara elektroniska enheter och elektronisk utrustning som placeras på personer.

CX6100 laddar ett CC2300-batteri på ungefär 3,5 timmar och ett CC3800-batteri på ungefär 5,5 timmar. På laddaren finns LED-lampor som anger laddningsstatus. Den har en AC/DC-strömkontakt samt adaptrar för USA, Europa, Storbritannien, Australien och Kina.

”Liksom med alla våra produkter har vi utformat den här laddaren särskilt med OEM:er i åtanke”, säger Rob Phillips, VD för Accutronics. ”Det faktum att vi kan ta fram särskilt anpassade versioner för våra kunder utan att någon egentlig extra kostnad uppkommer visar att vi förstår OEM:ernas behov mycket väl. När vi har fastslagit den specialanpassade utformningen tillsammans med kunden ändrar vi inte batteriets eller laddarens passform, utformning eller funktion utan att först samråda med kunden och få dennes tillåtelse. Detta försäkrar OEM:en om att vår produkt alltid kommer att vara kompatibel med deras enhet och att inga kvalitetsproblem eller problem med efterlevnad av nationell lagstiftning kommer att uppstå.

De batterier av kreditkortsstorlek som enheten kan ladda har testats i enlighet med och uppfyller kraven i FN:s modellregelverk och handbok för provning och kriterier (ST/SG/AC.10.11 § 38.3), vilket innebär att dessa kan transporteras utan några ytterligare tester eller kostnader.

Batterierna uppfyller även kraven i IEC 62133:2002 och ett CB-testcertifikat finns tillgängligt på begäran. Det blir allt vanligare att uppfyllelse av denna standard krävs, och det är redan obligatoriskt för medicinsk utrustning som har certifierats enligt SS-EN 60601-1, utg. 3.

Själva laddaren har certifierats enligt UL60950-1 och är CE-märkt. Precis som med Accutronics batterier av kreditkortsstorlek kan CX6100 modifieras för att uppfylla specifika OEM-krav. Standardutförandet är i coolt grått, men fodralets färg, märkningen och emballaget kan alla specialanpassas.