Medical and Healthcare

Interface is a trusted leader in providing sensor technologies to the medical and healthcare industry. Interface provides test and measurement solutions for research, medical device testing, equipment monitoring and for use in components. When safety matters, Interface provides the quality and accuracy the medical and health industry demands.

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medical device, pharmaceutical and healthcare applications

Medical and Healthcare Overview

Medical device and health care product engineers and manufacturers turn to Interface because our measurement solutions are designed for precision test and measurement applications, in both quality and reliability. There is also a high demand for Interface’s ability to customize solutions to meet the exact requirements of these sensitive medical and healthcare applications.

Medical device manufacturers need to meet and be accredited before test equipment is approved for use. The medical devices being tested also must pass strict inspections and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulations in the US before meeting the requirements necessary to bring a product, device, implant, or machine to market.

Interface offers various miniature beam and in-line load cell solutions with 10x overload protection to protect patients and devices against accidental shock loads. Our torque transducers provide rotary and reactive measurement to accurately track light movements required to control prosthetic fatigue testing, surgical equipment, knee or hip replacement, and other medical devices. Other Interface solutions include multi-axis sensors for multiple channels of measurement in one housing when you require measurements for two, three or six axis points.

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Read more about healthcare and medical applications in our case study: Interface Ensures Premium Accuracy and Reliability for Medical Applications

Pharmaceuticals

Furthering Advancements in Pharmaceuticals

In the medical and healthcare industries, the significance of precision and dependability grows immensely when lives are at stake. Medical devices and healthcare products, which rank among the most intricate and fragile technologies globally, must adhere to strict regulations and certification standards to ensure compliance. This begins at early R&D and testing, through production and distribution.

Throughout a pharmaceutical product’s life cycle, specialized equipment and sensor technologies are used by manufacturers, in both design and maintenance to provide unmistakable evidence of process quality and safety. Medical and health care product manufacturers, including pharmaceutical companies, turn to Interface because our high accuracy force measurement solutions are designed for reliable performance test and measurement projects. There is also tremendous demand for Interface’s ability to customize solutions that meet the exact measurement requirements of these sensitive applications.

Common Interface Products Used by Pharmaceutical Companies

Interface provides force measurement solutions for a wide variety of products and machines that help biotechnology and pharmaceutical product engineers to design, test and manufacture devices of all shapes and sizes. When it comes to equipment used in the manufacturing of medicine, Interface products are used to optimize production and reduce waste.

Pharmaceutical Solutions Using Interface Load Cells

Weighing and Distribution: Load cells are commonly used in pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities for accurately measuring and dispensing ingredients during the formulation process. They ensure precise measurements of active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients, which is crucial for maintaining the quality and efficacy of the final product.

Tablet Hardness Testing: Tablet hardness is an important characteristic as it influences factors like disintegration, dissolution, and overall drug delivery effectiveness. Load cells are used in tablet hardness testers to precisely quantify the force required to break or fracture a tablet.

Tablet Forming Machine Optimization: These machines need to be finely tuned to ensure consistent tablet quality, weight, and other critical attributes. Load cells play a vital role in this optimization process by providing real-time force and weight measurements during tablet compression.

Capsule Filling Machines: Load cells are used in capsule filling machines to measure the weight of the powdered or granulated material being filled into each capsule. This ensures that each capsule contains the correct amount of medication, contributing to accurate dosing.

Quality Control: Load cells are used in quality control processes to verify the weight and consistency of the final pharmaceutical products. This helps ensure that products meet regulatory standards and maintain consistent quality.

Mixing: In the pharmaceutical industry, proper mixing and blending of ingredients are critical to achieving uniformity in formulations. Load cells are used in mixing equipment to monitor the force exerted on the mixture, ensuring that ingredients are thoroughly and uniformly blended.

Packaging and Filling: Load cells are employed in packaging and filling processes to accurately measure the weight of the product being filled into containers such as bottles, vials, and blister packs. This helps prevent underfilling or overfilling of products, ensuring proper dosing for patients.

Bioreactors and Fermenters: In the production of biopharmaceuticals and vaccines, load cells are used in bioreactors and fermenters to monitor the weight of the culture medium and cells. This information is crucial for controlling and optimizing the growth conditions of microorganisms or cells used in the production process.

When it comes to product development in the United States, both medical devices and pharmaceuticals are required to not only adhere to stringent FDA regulations, but they must also be proven to safe and effective to doctors and patients. Similarly, these essential safety testing prerequisites are universally standard in most developed nations when seeking pre-release approvals.

Consult with our application engineers to see what type of products will meet your stringent requirements.

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Medical Devices

The medical industry is complex and diversified across many sectors from devices to hospitals, pharmaceuticals to therapy equipment. The medical device sector is one of the largest in medical device and healthcare, estimated at $500B in value globally and growing.

Interface understands the intricacies and dependencies of precision measurements for use in medical devices. Our products are used in life sustaining and saving equipment, across various classifications to measure force, weight, torque, and other critical parameters.

The dependence on accuracy and reliability increases tenfold in the med device world. Any design flaws or failures could present serious health risks or worse. Interface has been a trusted partner to medical OEMs and healthcare technology providers around the world for decades. Our strain gage sensors meet the demands of the medical device industry, as quality and precision are inherently designed and engineered into every transducer and instrument we build.

Medical Devices and Equipment Using Interface Measurement Solutions

From initial R&D, through design and prototyping, Interface products have a role. When testing any product used for medical purposes, there are many stringent standards and regulations defining the entire process. The quality, accuracy and durability of any testing sensor technology must withstand the rigorous protocols defined by the industry, product, manufacturer, and ultimate user.

Types of Interface Products Used for Medical Device Testing

Miniature Beam Load Cells
S-Type Load Cells
Load Washers
Micro Load Cells
Multi-Axis Sensors
Torque Transducers
LowProfile Load Cells
Custom Designs for Manufacturers
Stainless Steel, Overload Protected and Sealed Sensors

Contact our experienced medical device sensor experts to help select the right solution for your testing projects and devices.

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In-Home Healthcare

In-home healthcare involves providing medical and support services to individuals outside a medical facility. Medical industry innovations, including wearable devices, remote monitoring devices, pharmaceutical management tools, and therapy equipment, are driving the adoption of sensor-enablement technologies.

Interface’s load cells, torque transducers, and multi-axis sensors were designed to test medical devices and equipment used for in-home care, ensuring the efficacy and safety of this equipment before it reaches consumers. Our Mini Load Cells, including our WMC, S-Types, SSMs, and LBM models, are frequently used by healthcare device manufacturers due to their simple incorporation into existing and new products.

Interface sensor technologies are used for various medical devices in homes and care facilities, including lifts, beds, fluid management, and rehabilitation equipment. These products require extremely accurate measurements before they are approved for use. Interface knows the demands of providing reliable, quality, and durable solutions to meet these requirements.

Implementing Interface’s load cells in device design, R&D, and testing enhances precision, safety, and quality in developing in-home healthcare devices.

Interface Supports In-Home Health Care Applications

In-home healthcare devices are used for individuals recovering from surgery, managing chronic conditions, or those with disabilities who require assistance with daily activities.

Interface force measurement solutions are helping to improve patients’ home care and well-being. Interface continues to provide the medical industry with the most accurate and reliable force measurement products for research and development, at-home equipment testing, and embedding sensors for continuous measurement.

Interface engineers provide standard, custom, and OEM sensor products for testing and easy integration into in-home medical devices and equipment. Consult with our application engineers to find the right solution for your in-home healthcare product requirements.

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Rehabilitation Equipment

The medical industry turns to Interface for force measurement solutions for medical device and healthcare product design, development, and testing. This is especially true for rehabilitation equipment used in clinics, hospitals, nursing and home health care facilities, and sports treatment centers.

Rehabilitation encompasses a broad spectrum of conditions, aiming to restore function and improve the quality of life for individuals facing physical or cognitive impairments. Interface load cells, torque transducers, multi-axis sensors, and instrumentation provide highly accurate data that optimize or validate rehabilitation equipment for patient use.

Significant growth is occurring in the design, testing, and building of rehabilitation equipment, fueled by an aging population, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and technological advancements in rehabilitation devices. Interface provides various sensor options for research, development, manufacturing, and performance monitoring, from miniature load cells to advanced multi-axis sensors.

The demand for home-based rehabilitation devices is also increasing rapidly. This trend is driven by patient preference, cost-effectiveness, and advancements in telehealth technologies. Many of these devices rely heavily on sensors to monitor patient progress, provide feedback, and ensure safety, which aligns well with Interface’s expertise in sensor solutions.

In rehabilitation, Interface’s load cells are embedded within exercise equipment and wearable devices to measure the force exerted by a patient during therapy. Therapists can use the Interface wireless instrumentation to monitor and record patient progress. They can track improvements in muscle strength and movement patterns across different exercises and activities while measuring performance using sensor technologies.

Rehabilitation Equipment and Device Use Cases for Interface Solutions

Prosthetics and Orthotics Research
Prosthetic Design and Fit Analysis
Gait Analysis
Rehabilitation Robotics
Exoskeleton Feedback
Robotic Arms and Hands
Physical Therapy Equipment Design
Instrumented Treadmills
Muscle Strengthening Equipment Tests
Balance Platforms
Assistive Device Design and Testing
Wheelchairs
Rehabilitation Wearable Device Monitoring
Research and Development

Interface sensor technologies are used in equipment to treat various conditions ranging from neurological events like stroke and traumatic brain injury, where patients require assistance regaining motor skills, balance, and coordination, to musculoskeletal injuries such as fractures and sprains, where the focus is on restoring strength, mobility, and range of motion.

Application: Treadmill Rehabilitation

Interface-designed force sensors are used in rehabilitation treadmills for patients with pelvic mobility difficulties. For example, patients who have had strokes tend to have trouble walking. The goal is to measure the forces applied on the pelvis when the patient walks on the treadmill and catch any pelvic deviations. The treadmill had a special harness with two actuators on either side of the patient. Interface suggests installing two WMC Sealed Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cells on the actuators to measure the forces applied to the patient’s pelvis. The SI-USB4 4-Channel USB Interface Module graphs and logs the results using supplied VS3 software. Using this solution, the rehabilitation equipment maker has a solution to catch different pelvic deviations in their experimental rehabilitation treadmill using Interface’s products.

By integrating advanced sensor technologies like those offered by Interface, you can create devices that are more effective, safer, and more personalized. Force measurement solutions, for example, can provide valuable data for gait analysis, prosthetic fitting, and robotic exoskeleton control, enabling precise monitoring and optimization of treatment. Similarly, torque sensors can enhance the functionality of isokinetic dynamometers and rehabilitation robots, facilitating accurate measurement of strength, endurance, and range of motion. By embracing these technologies, manufacturers can differentiate their products, improve patient outcomes, and drive innovation in the rapidly evolving field of rehabilitation.

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