Medical device manufacturers know quality piezoelectric components are the key to many life-saving products. APC International has been supporting the healthcare industry with piezo ceramic medical tool components that offer the precision and reliability surgeons and other professionals require. Since 1986, we have been manufacturing custom piezo elements, premade transducers and other products essential to the design of cutting edge medical devices.
From diagnostic and therapeutic equipment to surgical tools, you’ll find APC International components hard at work in some of the world’s top hospitals and facilities.
APC International manufactures five proprietary piezo ceramics, of which two — APC 850 and APC 855 — are best suited for use in medical monitoring and diagnostic tools. APC 850 and APC 855 are soft ceramics engineered from a proprietary mix of lead zirconate titanate. APC’s materials provide high dielectric constants, high coupling factors and charge sensitivity, a high density with fine grain structure, and a clean, noise-free frequency response. For these reasons, they are ideal for medical imaging, including ultrasound devices.
Many ultrasound devices employ our dice and fill composite technology. A composite piezo material includes one of our ceramics — in this case, either APC 850 or APC 855 — mixed in with a passive polymer or epoxy filler material. The benefits of using composite ceramic in medical devices include lower acoustic impendence, higher coupling coefficient and higher bandwidth. Dice and fill composites are is created by slicing a piezo ceramic plate and inserting the filler material into the trenches. This produces a composite material in which lateral modes and other interferences are eliminated, while delivering a regular pixel distribution.
In recent years, ultrasonic surgery has become increasingly popular for a number of medical interventions. Ultrasonic surgery is minimally invasive and precise enough to allow a surgeon to remove diseased or damaged tissue without affecting surrounding areas. This results in faster recovery times and improved patient outcomes. Because of this, our products are used in a growing number of ultrasonic surgery tools and piezo ceramic medical tools. Since ultrasonic medical devices used for ultrasonic surgery typically require a high electrical drive we recommend the use of APC’s 880 ceramic material, a Navy III material, in these applications. APC 880 material displays high dielectric stability and low mechanical loss under high drive conditions. This combination of properties makes APC’s 880 material ideal for applications in ultrasonic surgery.
APC International sells preassembled transducers, actuators and other components for use in piezo ceramic medical devices. We can also build a custom order to your specifications, or provide powders and other materials for commercial production. For more information, contact our team directly. For technical specifications or other information about our products, browse our online knowledge base to learn more. Call (570)-726-6961 to speak to one of our representatives.
For technical specifications or other information about our products, browse our online knowledge base to learn more. Call (570)-726-6961 to speak to one of our representatives.
