Photo-chemical etching

The power of photo-chemical etching to make an opthalmic blade.

Leading photo-chemical etching (PCE) innovator, micrometal, is pleased to be able to demonstrate the power of its next generation precision metal processing technology following some recent work with a manufacturer of opthalmic devices incorporating surgical blades.

PCE offers several specific advantages when it comes to manufacturing intricate blades for eye surgery. Firstly, it allows for the creation of extremely precise and intricate blade designs with sharp edges and tight tolerances, ensuring the highest level of accuracy and consistency during surgery. This is particularly important for eye surgery, where even small variations in blade design can have a significant impact on patient outcomes.

Secondly, PCE can produce very thin blades, down to a few microns in thickness, which are required for many types of eye surgeries. These blades can be manufactured with no burrs or rough edges, ensuring smooth and precise cutting.

In addition, the PCE process is a chemical, non-contact process, which means that there is no physical force applied to the metal during manufacturing, reducing the risk of deformation or damage to the blade. This is particularly important when working with thin, delicate blades that require extreme precision.

“For manufacturers of intricate metal parts and components, choosing the right technology is crucial to ensure high-quality, accurate, and cost-effective production,” says Jochen Kern, Head of Sales and Marketing at micrometal. “The next generation PCE process stands out as the go-to technology for several reasons, first and foremost because it offers unparalleled precision, enabling the creation of geometrically complex designs and shapes with tight tolerances that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing techniques. Additionally, PCE is highly versatile, allowing for the production of a wide range of metal types and thicknesses, and is relatively fast and cost-effective, with low tooling costs and short lead times and parts produced with no stress of burrs.”

Trajan’s Mitra kit

micrometal has taken what is already a precise technology in PCE and enhanced it. The company’s process advantages mean that very small feature sizes of 25 microns can be produced, it can achieve a minimum hole diameter 80% of the material thickness, and single digit micron tolerances are attainable repeatably.

“We worked hard to achieve the extremely exacting tolerances that the ophthalmic device manufacturer required,” Kern continues. “The customer stated that our etched blades were the sharpest they had ever seen. PCE produces a very smooth and sharp cutting edge compared to conventional mechanical grinding of similar blades.” micrometal’s high-resolution glass photomask tools are printed at 100,000 dpi, providing superior reproduction and resolution than film photo-tooling used in conventional chemical etching processes. Glass photo tooling can attain tolerances in the range of 1-2 microns (and hole tolerances of < 1 micron can be achieved), and negates issues with distortion due to environmental factors such as humidity that are a constant problem when using film tooling. micrometal.de

Trajan’s Mitra microsampling devices receive IVD registration in Australia.

Trajan Scientific and Medical, a leading provider of analytical and life sciences products and solutions, has announced the new registration of its Neoteryx remote blood microsampling Mitra® devices and Mitra® Sample Collection Kits under the new manufacturing label.

The Mitra is registered with the TGA in Australia as a Class I in vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical device and the Mitra Kit is registered as a Class II medical device for home use. The updated regulatory compliance expands the use of Trajan’s Mitra® microsampling products in clinical settings, as well as home-based sample collection to support telehealth and personalised medicine. Doctors and research scientists seeking to boost clinical trial participation through remote sampling in rural communities, among nontraditional participants, and patients with limited access to clinical sites can simply ship the sample collection kits to these populations for self-guided specimen collection.

Mitra provides a major benefit to patients participating in clinical studies that fear needles or are inconvenienced by the requirements of a clinic-based blood draw. Following the instructions for use and a quick finger-stick, virtually anyone can use a Mitra device to collect a high-quality blood sample for accurate lab testing. The patient or study participant uses the specimen bag and envelope provided in the home kit to send their samples to the lab.

The microsamples integrate with laboratory analysis workflows, as shown in previous studies conducted by pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organisations, and academic institutions around the world. As published in the literature, specimens collected with Mitra Kits have been used for detection of inflammatory biomarkers, PSA for prostate cancer screenings, antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, and more.

“The updated regulatory registration of Trajan’s Mitra microsampling devices in Australia increases our ability to facilitate personalised, preventative data-based healthcare,” said Stephen Tomisich, CEO and founder, Trajan. “Our Mitra microsampling solutions allow almost anyone to take an analytically viable sample in or out of a clinical setting, anytime, anywhere.” trajanscimed.com neoteryx.com

Trajan is a global developer and manufacturer of analytical and life sciences products and devices used in the analysis of biological, food, and environmental samples. Trajan has a portfolio and pipeline of new technologies which support the move towards decentralized personalized data-based healthcare. Trajan’s products and solutions are marketed under multiple product brands, including Neoteryx, serving a range of industries in countries around the world.