With elastography emerging as an advanced and very cost effective diagnostic tool, medical manufacturers are seeking ways to incorporate VCA technology into standard ultrasound probe designs. The resulting probe would enable practitioners to switch from ultrasound imaging to elastography as required.
Key to the product’s design specification was a device that would deliver a high force in frequencies up to 75Hz in a small enough size to mount onto the manufacturer’s existing ultrasound probe. Solenoids and other technologies were too slow to meet the frequency requirements.
BEI Kimco’s miniature linear voice coil actuator, LA10-08-000A, proved to be the right solution. It not only provides the 75Hz frequency, but also easily fits within the compact footprint, with measurements of merely 1″ in diameter and 0.8″ in length. In addition, it packs a punch with a peak force of 6.67 Newtons.
“The capabilities demonstrated by our linear VCA in this application open up new possibilities of innovation for the medical industry,” says Scott Best, BEI Kimco Midwest Regional Sales Manager. “A small device that provides a strong force in a very consistent, high speed manner can be used in many types of medical equipment, such as ventilators, probes, blood analyzers and lab equipment.”