Medical Electronics Manufacturing

In the past one hundred years, the medical field has advanced in leaps and bounds. Its technology has gotten smaller and more complex, such as the upgrade from the iron lung to the modern ventilator. 

However, those advances were not made on the backs of the medical field alone. Medical electronics manufacturing is how newer devices and equipment are created and maintained. 

Manufacturing medical electronics isn’t simple. Many diagnostic and treatment practices rely on PCB manufacturing to function. There are also many regulations and standards for how everything is constructed.

Here’s everything you need to know about the field and what Geospace offers its clients.

What is Medical Electronics Manufacturing?

Medical electronics manufacturing involves creating all the devices the medical field uses. A company may create implants, instruments, diagnostics equipment, and more. Most importantly, certified manufacturers create medical electronics that other professionals can rely on. 

Some of the different industry sectors they work in include orthopedics, cardiovascular devices, and dental instruments. One of the largest segments covers surgical instruments and technologies. 

Electronic Manufacturing Services Offered

Geospace Technologies offers a breadth of services in various fields. These include design and engineering, EMS services, machining, and injection molding. 

When it comes to electronics manufacturing, we take our field incredibly seriously. Our operations work to meet a wide range of OEM requirements fast and efficiently. As a global manufacturer, you’ll have access to a diverse team of experts worldwide. 

Currently, our EMS capabilities include microelectronics and PCB assembly. We also perform wire and cable and mechanical assembly or box build. 

Microelectronics

Microelectronics refers to tiny components used to manufacture certain electronics. Microelectronics primarily refers to smaller components like transistors and insulators.

Some microelectronics explicitly used in the medical field help to reduce the size and power requirements of equipment used. A few examples are sensors, actuators, and microprocessors used in surgical tools. 

In relation to our microelectronics work, we have full clean room capabilities of class 10k and 100k. We also use die-attach, wire bonding, and encapsulation. 

PCB Assembly

Medical PCB assembly, or printed circuit boards, supports and connects electronic components. Motherboards used in computers comprise several layers of PCB that provide electrical pathways. 

Assembling medical electronics requires PCB assembly before components can be connected to each other. Making smaller and higher-density circuits have become especially important alongside more advanced medical technologies. 

Wire and Cable

Wire and cable assemblies are essential in any electronic application. If your wiring fails you, the electronic devices could shut off or cause some serious issues. 

The last thing you want in the medical field is an essential machine to stop working for your patient. Ideally, the client who purchased the electronics never has to think about the device’s wiring. 

Mechanical Assembly / Box Build

A box build is anything from a PCB assembly to a much larger complex electromechanical system. This system often includes an enclosure with various wires and cables connected to another assembly.

This build can add more electronics to your PCB. Everything is included for the customer, so they can plug everything in as soon as the box build arrives. 

Some benefits of a box build for the medical field include a faster turnaround of prototypes, lowered manufacturing costs, and better quality. Additionally, an assembly house reduces supply chain complexity. Many EMS companies create the housing themselves alongside the wire harnesses and box build. 

Geospace Technologies Certifications

The medical industry is extremely careful when it comes to buying electronics. If something fails on a physician or gives a false reading, it could mean putting their patients at risk.

As such, many certifications are available for EMS manufacturers to present to their customers. They stand as proof that their products are high quality and comply with all necessary regulations. 

Geospace Technologies has four certifications to offer our clients. They include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and AS9100. 

ISO 9001

The ISO 9000 family is one of the best-known standards around. It’s based on a strong customer focus, motivated top management, and continual improvement.

There is also an emphasis on a factual approach to decision-making and professional relationship management. 

For your clients, it shows that your organization meets this standard. It also shows that you get regular internal audits to maintain that certification. 

ISO 14001

The ISO 14001 family is all about environmental management. It maps out a framework for creating this management system to measure environmental impact. A certification based on these criteria shows that an organization measures and works on reducing its impact on the environment. 

Other standards in this family include labeling, life cycle analysis, and addressing climate change. 

ISO 13485

ISO 13485 regulates every step of a medical device’s life cycle. Organizations that design, produce, and install medical devices don’t need this certification to operate, but it helps a lot. Many medical organizations won’t even consider a manufacturer without a similar type of certification. 

AS9100

AS9100 is a standard developed for the aviation and aerospace industries.

This standard is accepted worldwide. It lays out all of the requirements for designing, developing, and manufacturing aerospace products. It does not cover aircraft maintenance or ASD distributors of components for electrics and hardware. 

Certification in AS9100 doesn’t define product quality. However, it shows your clients that you’re following all the requirements for safe and reliable products. 

Medical PCB Assembly and More

Medical electronics manufacturing is a wide field that benefits from comprehensive certification. It would be terrible to miss out on a big client just because your company couldn’t provide proof that you met all of their standards. Proper certification ranks high even though a company’s PCB manufacturing tops all its competitors. 

Geospace Technologies has done all the work to ensure we meet all of our client’s expectations. Our reach expands all facets of manufacturing out of our Houston location. Contact us to learn more about what we have to offer.