Today, there is a high demand for cost-effective and preventative healthcare and diagnostic solutions due to contributing factors such as ageing population and increasing risk of illness. Technical developments such as miniaturisation, integration or dispensing smaller volumes of liquid or gases are opening new opportunities in the life sciences sector.

Customer Challenges:

Everyone agrees that medical technology must be designed to the highest possible standards of quality and efficiency. Medical devices such as ventilator (breathing machines) are used to save lives in hospitals. They ensure regular lung functionality and replace spontaneous breathing for patients with damaged lung functions through controlled flow of gas inhalation, exhalation, and oxygenation.

Exact and consistent pressure regulation and flow control are key factors that all manufacturers need to consider. The design must be as accurate as possible because each part plays a functional role. If there is a slight deviation, it can lead to life-altering consequences. To ensure high reliability and precision of the medical devices, using piezo technology is the ideal way to go.

XtructureD Solutions: Compact, quiet, energy-efficient valves piezo technology

Medical devices are subjected to fierce competition. The trends are moving towards compact and cost-effective devices. Another consideration is its ability to withstand being used daily for long time periods. In the medical market, there is a demand for faster and high-precision medical equipment. To accommodate to these factors, piezo technology is one of several key technologies used by Festo to ensure efficient control of gas flows in medical devices.

Piezo valves with proportional technology are often better than solenoid valves for mobile applications and those near the patient, especially for flow and pressure regulation. Thanks to the material properties of piezo ceramics, no energy is needed to maintain a steady flow, but only to change the state of the flow which prevents heat build-up. As they are very silent in operation, piezo valves are suitable for permanent use even in environments sensitive to noise such as intensive care. They are ideal for battery-operated devices thanks to low energy consumption. Aside from being lightweight, they have long service life as the design is wear-resistant.

For ventilator breathing devices, piezo technology can be combined with 2/2-way proportional valve VEAE. It helps to regulate gas flows, be it oxygen, air, nitrogen, or inert gases, safely and precisely. Since the piezo ceramics maintain their status in case of a power failure, the valves continue to provide high process reliability. The high flow rate of up to 100 l/min makes the VEAE ideal for portable or stationary ventilator breathing devices.

Benefits

Proportional valves with piezo technology are suitable for a wide variety of applications in medical technology. The combination can help improve the quality of life for patients and their surroundings. Sensitivity and low power consumption of piezo sensors also proved useful for those employing them in medical applications.

Proportional valves with piezo technology require no energy to maintain an active state thanks to their capacitive principle. How it works is the valve operates like a capacitor where it only needs current at the start so that it can charge the piezoceramics. No further energy is needed therefore it does not generate heat. Piezo valves consume up to 95% less energy than solenoid valves.
 

The VEMD has compact installation dimensions. Its light weight makes it ideal for installation in portable devices. The integrated control circuit with thermal sensor makes the VEMD dynamic and precise. It reacts very quickly to a setpoint change and is virtually immediately ready for operation. Thanks to the piezo technology, no pulse-width modulated signal is required to control the flow rates, which means that the proportional flow control valve VEMD operates silently.

Compared to pressure regulators using on/off valve technology, VEAB offers precise, silent, and stable regulation to a pre-set value without fluctuations in the output pressure – even with varying air consumption. It can regulate very small volumes reliably, as well as vacuum and overpressure. For maximum performance and total economy. The VEAB combines innovative piezo technology with digital closed loop control technology. This makes them attractive for many applications as it offers excellent key features, such as long-term stability, high repeat accuracy and low hysteresis.

The VEAE regulates gas flows, whether oxygen, air, nitrogen, or inert gases, safely and precisely. Since the piezo ceramics also maintain their status in case of a power failure, the valves offer outstanding process reliability. The high flow rate of up to 100 l/min makes the VEAE ideal for portable or stationary ventilator breathing devices. The compact valve is ideally suited for regulating the flow of air, and thus the speed of compressed air drills used in dentistry and surgery.

The extremely compact proportional valve VEMP requires very little energy, i.e., just 1 mW: It retains its actual status without any current, and the flow rate can be changed with minimal current. This means that there is no heat generation. At 20 g it is light weight, making it for installation in mobile devices like portable oxygen therapy apparatus. The VEMP enables extremely precise proportional control of gas flows from 0 … 30 l/min as well as pressures. With a switching speed of 15 ms, it can react very quickly to setpoint changes. It is ideal for oxygen/ventilation therapy, medical mattresses, ophthalmology, and dialysis. The flow setpoint can be set using a DC voltage, which means that no pulse-width modulated signal is required for control.