-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueRules of Thumb
This month, we delve into rules of thumb—which ones work, which ones should be avoided. Rules of thumb are everywhere, but there may be hundreds of rules of thumb for PCB design. How do we separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak?
Partial HDI
Our expert contributors provide a complete, detailed view of partial HDI this month. Most experienced PCB designers can start using this approach right away, but you need to know these tips, tricks and techniques first.
Silicon to Systems: From Soup to Nuts
This month, we asked our expert contributors to weigh in on silicon to systems—what it means to PCB designers and design engineers, EDA companies, and the rest of the PCB supply chain... from soup to nuts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Murata’s Revolutionary Stretchable Printed Circuit Elevates Wearable Medical Devices Printed Circuit Products
October 31, 2024 | MurataEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd reveals an innovative new Stretchable Printed Circuit (SPC) technology marking a significant development in printed circuit technology. Murata's SPC represents the next advancement in substrate development, providing both flexibility and the capability to stretch and deform while maintaining full functionality. It is perfect for creating advanced medical products, like wearable therapeutic devices and vital monitoring tools, that can provide better accuracy, durability, and patient comfort than today’s equivalent devices.
In recent years, in the medical field, to make more accurate diagnoses, the importance of sophisticated tests performed in hospitals and biometric information collected continuously in daily life has increased. Daily vital sign monitoring is important to prevent lifestyle-related diseases, therefore wearable medical devices are now ubiquitous. However, existing devices are often too stiff for many applications, creating issues like patient discomfort, poor surface contact, or unstable data acquisition. Murata's SPC excels in its inherent flexibility, stretchability, and ability to adapt, supporting multi-sensing functionalities to address diverse user requirements. The material is incredibly soft and gentle on the skin, making it ideal for medical and wellness devices like EEG (Electroencephalogram), EMG (Electromyogram), and ECG(Electrocardiogram). Its stretchable nature can enable a single device to accommodate various body areas and patients of different sizes, as well as allowing more easily for continuous monitoring applications or monitoring in previously challenging areas such as elbows or knee joints.
Engineered with cutting-edge capabilities, including printing stretchable electrodes compliant with ANSI/AAMI EC12 standards, SPC paves the way for next-generation medical devices. It achieves seamless integration and optimal performance through innovative telescopic component mounting and hybrid bonding technology between substrates. By effectively blocking electromagnetic noise, the unique shield layer offers reliable protection for the signal path. Additionally, the substrate construction demonstrates excellent reliability, with high resistance to moisture and the ability to withstand high voltages for long durations, while allowing for more flexibility in component mounting, giving designers more freedom to innovate.
Murata's SPC can be tailored to meet individual customer specifications with the help of Murata’s extensive range of resources to facilitate collaborative product development. This can be harnessed by product designers, enabling them to optimize their designs. Murata can further support development by conducting tests in various conditions and resolving failure modes by identifying their root causes. Depending on the required specifications, filters, amplifiers, and multiple sensors can be mounted on a single sheet, enabling accurate data acquisition and sensing of several items. With this solution, Murata performs custom design, prototyping and verification, and mass production based on the required specifications.
Suggested Items
Rules of Thumb for PCB Layout
11/21/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007The dictionary defines a “rule of thumb” as “a broadly accurate guide or principle, based on experience or practice rather than theory.” Rules of thumb are often the foundation of a PCB designer’s thought process when tackling a layout. Ultimately, a product spec or design guideline will provide the detailed design guidance, but rules of thumb can help to provide the general guidance that will help to streamline the layout process and avoid design or manufacturing issues.
NTT, Olympus Joint Demonstration Shows IOWN APN's Low-latency Capability
11/21/2024 | JCN NewswireNTT Corporation and Olympus Corporation announced that, following the start of their joint experiment in March of the world’s first cloud endoscope system which processes endoscopic videos on the cloud, they jointly established a cloud endoscopy system utilizing the IOWN APN technology.
Offshore Sourcing in the Global Supply Chain
11/20/2024 | Brittany Martin, I-Connect007Bob Duke, president of the Global Sourcing Division at American Standard Circuits, discusses the challenges and benefits of navigating the global supply chain, including the value of strong supplier relationships, rigorous quality control, and strategic sourcing from regions including China, Vietnam, and India.
Flexible Thinking: Rules of Thumb: A Word to the Wise
11/20/2024 | Joe Fjelstad -- Column: Flexible ThinkingIn the early days of electronics manufacturing—especially with PCBs—there were no rules. Engineers, scientists, and technicians largely felt their way around in the dark, making things up as they went along. There was a great deal of innovation, guessing, and testing to make sure that early guidelines and estimates were correct by testing them. Still, they frequently made mistakes.
Enjoy the Journey: PCB Design Instructor Kris Moyer on His Sustainable Lifestyle
11/19/2024 | Michelle Te, IPC CommunityWhen I contacted IPC design instructor Kris Moyer to discuss his sustainable lifestyle, he responded to my text with a call. "I'm calling you from about 8,000 feet, sitting at the foot of Mammoth Lakes," he told me. “My friends and I are about to get in the pool for the afternoon." Kris can do this because he actually lives full-time in his travel-trailer at this campground. He's now a permanent camper, taking him anywhere the winds blow—and where there's strong internet service—so he can teach his PCB design classes, offer expert interviews, and live off the land.