Force tester turns to medical device duties

Mecmesin has been working with medical device giant Cardinal Health in joint development of an instrument to calibrate the occlusion monitoring function of syringe pump infusion systems.

Mecmesin has been working with medical device giant Cardinal Health in joint development of an instrument to calibrate the occlusion monitoring function of syringe pump infusion systems.

The automatic detection of a blockage, or "occlusion", which may halt infusion of a drug to the patient, is a critical safety feature of a syringe pump.

The occlusion will present itself as a build-up of excess pressure behind the syringe plunger, detectable by an integrated pressure sensor.

An alarm is triggered if the pressure exceeds a predefined safety level.

The accuracy of this sensor is therefore vital to ensure early occlusion detection, and guarantee consistent drug dosage; hence regular calibration of the sensor is an essential necessity.

Working closely together, Cardinal Health and Mecmesin developed a custom-engineered occlusion tester, comprising a CFG 100N digital force gauge with a special fixture designed to fit comfortably into syringe seat.

This highly accurate, yet portable and rugged piece of equipment has proven very successful for the company, enabling their customers to improve patient safety assurance.

Justin Gyer, Instruments Engineering Manager at Cardinal Health said: "A precise, repeatable and reliable 'occlusion' force calibration tool is essential for our customers, service personnel and production use".

"Mecmesin have provided expert design advice, equipment samples and test strategies to ensure Cardinal Health have been able to achieve these aims".

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