Microfabrication for Medical Device Manufacturing

For almost 25 years, MultiSource Manufacturing LLC has worked to engineer and fabricate precise parts, components, and full assemblies for the medical device industry. Medical equipment production requires a level of perfect accuracy, strict design specifications, and bio-safe engineering knowledge. No matter what kind of devices we manufacture, from surgical equipment to implantable devices, we adhere to the highest industry standards, and our own goals for quality and safety during every step in the production process. Our engineering team and manufacturing technicians understand the importance of a reliable, well-made product for all industries, but especially for the medical device field. The quality of a medical device when put to use in a hospital, emergency room, or other treatment center can mean life or death for a patient. To eliminate the potential of any of our devices compromising a patient’s health and well-being, we follow a set of meticulous but basic standards for quality and precision. Many of our medical device manufacturing operations also utilize microfabrication processes to build intelligent electronic designs and tools for bio-integration.

Uses of Microfabrication

There are many uses for microfabrication when it comes to medical device manufacturing. From a biochemical standing, microfabrication is key for creating solutions for cell biology treatments, biosensors, and other components that involve medical procedures at a molecular level. Our microfabrication capabilities operate on a slightly larger scale than molecular biology, but we still work to build parts that are almost invisible to the naked eye. Tolerances often run as tight as +/-0.001″ (+/-0.0025mm) on our medical device production floor.

Much of our microfabrication for medical devices works with semiconductor and electronics fabrication. Some processes we utilize in our microfabrication operations include:

Thin-film deposition

Made from silicon, metals, or plastics, thin films can be used in microcomponents for masking, structure, subtractive manufacturing, and more. Thin films deposited on surfaces are typically fused with chemical reactions, but can be attached with physical operations. Common films use silicon dioxide or silicon nitride, both dielectric substrates (electrical insulators).

Wet processing

For semiconductors and other microcomponents, wet processing is a critical part of developing a precise design. Wet processing immerses parts into an etching solution, which chemically removes areas of a chip or part that is not masked with specific films or other photoresist agents. We also use wet processing to apply strip lines and other parts of a microchip and wafer system.

Electronics integration

With our capabilities for semiconductor microfabrication and our medical device manufacturing skills, we can pair microcomponents with electrical systems. Circuits, chip boards, electrodes, capacitors, insulators, and other parts of electronic medical devices of all kinds rely on our microfabrication and precision in the full assembly of parts, from catheterization, ablation, and other implantable devices to drug delivery systems and pharmaceutical packaging.

To learn more about our medical device manufacturing, contact MultiSource Manufacturing LLC at (952) 456-5500. You can also request more information, or request a quote to get started with us today.

Importance of Continued Medical Device Manufacturing in the Face of COVID-19

As we move through the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic, more and more states are issuing stay-at-home orders and shutting down nonessential business operations. For essential operations, it’s become even more important for production and services to continue in their support of communities, medical professionals, and national safety. At MultiSource Manufacturing LLC, our most essential operation today is the production of high-quality, precision-based medical devices. Our skilled engineers and technicians are working daily to fabricate medical equipment that will be critical in caring for COVID-19 patients and developing treatments as well as treating non-coronavirus conditions. With our continued medical device manufacturing practices, MultiSource is dedicated to doing its part in sustaining positive action in the face of this major health crisis.

 

Many medical devices, protective equipment, and treatment tools are in extreme demand during this time. Shortages of medical tools are a serious issue that we, as manufacturers, need to cooperate to combat. Our staff is working to maintain the supply of medical devices, tools, and components that we fabricate for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other customers.

 

Some medical devices and components we fabricate and assemble, and are key in the treatment of COVID-19 patients and other patients with respiratory conditions, include:

 

  • Surgical equipment and instrumentation: While there is limited surgical treatment for COVID-19 patients, there are still various tools and instruments necessary for intensive care of coronavirus and other respiratory infection conditions. Even basic tools such as IV applications, needles, heart monitors, and other generic hospital equipment are vital in saving many lives during a pandemic like the one that is occurring now.
  • Surgical navigation: Fluid draining, catheterization, internal diagnostics, and other treatments that may need surgical navigation tools are utilized hundreds of times daily in emergency rooms (ERs), intensive care units (ICUs), and hospitals treating the rapid influxes of COVID-19 patients around the globe. Our medical device manufacturing services work to support continued use of these tools in the face of shortages.
  • Electrical and battery: Many devices are electronic systems that use a direct power source or battery supply. Equipment such as ventilators and fluid drainage devices that are electrically powered are a critical aspect of COVID-19 treatment, particularly for patients with severe cases of the virus. Our production of these components is an important part of our role in supplying the medical community battling the coronavirus.
  • Pharmaceutical mixing and packaging: While no vaccine has been developed yet for the coronavirus, some pharmaceutical support care options exist. In addition, vaccines and treatments for many other respiratory illnesses, immuno-compromising conditions, and other medical conditions that put patients at risk of severe infection of COVID-19 are available. To promote the continued development and distribution of these medications, our work in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical tool components is valuable.

 

During this pandemic, we’ll do our part to protect everyone from COVID-19. To learn more about our medical device manufacturing, contact MultiSource Manufacturing LLC at (952) 456-5500. You can request more information or request a quote online to get started with us today.

Improving Manufacturing for Medical Equipment Used in Cardiac Treatments

The medical technology industry is a rapidly expanding one, but unlike other industries growing just as quickly, medical equipment has unmatched demand for precision, reliability, and safety. Because the quality of medical equipment directly affects the health and wellbeing of patients, including those who are unable to speak for themselves (such as children and the elderly), the medical industry has to meet a standard of ethical production and testing practices. At MultiSource Manufacturing LLC, we are dedicated to providing unparalleled quality for components and assemblies used to fabricate medical equipment that is distributed globally. Our goal is to continually improve our practices and products for all areas of the medical industry we provide for, including cardiac medicine and treatments.

 

A large portion of the components and assemblies we manufacture are utilized in the cardiology branch of medicine for cardiac treatments ranging from minor to aggressive heart issues. The medical equipment we fabricate on our state-of-the-art production floor is used in various treatments, including:

 

Atrial Fibrillation: This cardiac affliction manifests as an irregular heartbeat caused by the upper chambers of the heart beating rapidly and out of sync with the lower chambers. This increases the risk of a stroke or heart attack. The components we manufacture are used in the equipment that produces medications or catheterization systems that treat atrial fibrillation.

 

Cardiac Ablation: This is a primary treatment for atrial fibrillation and other causes of an irregular heartbeat when medications fail. Using a catheter system, surgery, or a combination of both, surgeons can create scar tissue in specific areas of a patient’s heart. This scarring alters the rhythm of the heartbeat, stabilizing and syncing the chambers. Our components are used in many various types of ablation equipment.

 

Implantable Devices: Our components are used in the fabrication of ICDs (implantable cardioverter defibrillators), one of the most commonly used implantable devices in the United States. Additionally, we manufacture equipment used in other implantable devices, including pacemakers and coronary stents, for treating cardiac health issues.

 

Catheterization: Cardiac catheterization can be used to test for heart conditions or treat an existing condition. The long, thin tubing inserted into arteries, heart blood vessels, or veins allows blood flow to and from the heart when that flow would otherwise be unreliable. We manufacture several components used in cardiac and other catheterization systems.

 

Surgical Navigation: In many surgical operations, including almost all cardiac and open-heart surgeries, highly advanced navigation systems are critical. These navigation systems require extreme precision and trusted performance because they introduce another factor into the human body during surgery. The components we fabricate for surgical navigation devices are highly accurate and well-engineered products.

 

To learn more about the components we manufacture for cardiology and other medical equipment, contact MultiSource Manufacturing LLC at (952) 456-5500 today. Request a quote or more information online to get started with us today.

Role of Contract Manufacturing in Pharmaceutical Production

MultiSource Manufacturing LLC offers a wide range of fabrication and assembly services for many industries. The medical industry has a high standard for the precision and accuracy required during the production process because all equipment used in the medical industry will directly affect the lives of patients and medical professionals for better or for worse. As a contract manufacturer of medical tools used in many areas of the industry, MultiSource understands its responsibility in the production of quality, highly accurate components and assemblies. Our role as a contract manufacturing expert is to provide reliable services from start to finish in the design, production, assembly, and finishing processes.

 

Medical devices have come a long way technologically and ideologically in the last 50 years. Advancements have been made in the industry in all areas, from treatment capabilities to pharmaceutical production. Because so many new approaches to drug delivery and pharmaceutical manufacturing systems have emerged throughout the medical industry, the equipment used in those systems has advanced to accommodate these new ideas.

 

To meet continually advancing  medical technologies, the MultiSource network is dedicated to providing comprehensive manufacturing capabilities with state-of-the-art tools and intelligent engineering. The components and assemblies we manufacture for pharmaceutical production meet the high standards required in the field for sterile, contaminant-free function.

 

Our contract manufacturing services for pharmaceutical production devices include components and assemblies for various methods of drug fabrication, including:

 

  • milling for chemicals, capsules, and other drug delivery systems
  • granulation of drug particles and other fillers or inactive ingredients
  • coating and pressing of capsules, tablets, pills, and other drug formats
  • complex cooling equipment used in the selection and control of reactivity
  • highly precise systems for the extraction of solvents, material emulsions, temperature treating, and hydrolyzing
  • laboratory equipment used to build stoichiometric ratios of differing reagents

 

On an industrial level, pharmaceutical manufacturers need specialized production systems integrated on the production floor. For drug fabrication, the equipment used in these systems provides industrial capabilities, including:

 

  • power feeding used in continuous manufacturing with variable speeds and reliable stability
  • large-scale milling for chemical breakdown
  • heavy-duty blending with power equipment
  • large-scale, contained granulation
  • extrusion using hot melt technology
  • contained conveyor systems
  • and many other specialized tools needed for industrial pharmaceutical production

 

The production of pharmaceuticals is a highly technical, regulated industry. To meet industry standards and provide patients with a quality, reliable product, you need the right equipment. With the expertise of the MultiSource network, you can get the components, assemblies, and equipment you need.

 

To learn more about services for pharmaceutical manufacturers and our other work in the medical industry, contact MultiSource Manufacturing LLC today at (952) 456-5500. To find out more about our contract manufacturing services, request more information or request a quote online to get started with us today.

Making Medical Implants Safer and Stronger with Precision Machining

With medical devices and manual tools developing every day, the medical manufacturing industry must grow to match these advancements in order to provide hospitals and clinics with safe, high quality, FDA-approved products. The medical production services MultiSource Manufacturing, LLC provides follow strict standards of design, fabrication, assembly, and integration for all our components and complete products. Our team of skilled engineers, technicians, machinists, and assemblers understands that any lapse in procedure or any failure to inspect a part may change a life-or-death situation for the worse. When you work with the precision machining experts at MultiSource for medical manufacturing, you can always expect a reliable, high-quality product that promotes safer medical treatments and operations.

We provide a wide range of medical device and medical tool production, including implantable devices. Implants are one of the most utilized components and one of the most dangerous to the patient if failure occurs, thus they require the most exacting attention during the production process.

MultiSource is committed to providing reliability and quality when it comes to all our products, including implantable devices, and it’s an ongoing concern of ours that we continue to make safer and stronger implants.

Common Implants Made with Precision Machining

The number of implanted medical devices and components used across the U.S. increases as production capabilities and technology advance. Today, there are many commonly-used implants from electronic devices to metal supports. The most-used implants made with precision machining capabilities include:

 

  1. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and pacemakers used to remedy cardiac arrhythmia
  2. Spinal fusion hardware, including artificial discs, rods, screws, and pins, to remedy spinal injuries and back problems
  3. Traumatic fracture repair hardware including screws, plates, rods, and pins to remedy a wide range of severe body trauma
  4. Hip replacements for patients with damaged joints, degenerative osteoarthritis, or severe bone and connective tissue damage
  5. Knee replacements for patients with knee cap injuries, general wear and tear issues, and severe knee damage

 

These implants can save lives, treat severe pain issues, and keep patients of all ages and conditions safe and healthy, but in order to successfully treat patients in need of an implant, those devices must be made with extreme precision, quality, and long-term reliability. The MultiSource network strives to uphold practices that provide the medical industry with the best and most-trusted medical implant manufacturing possible.

All our facilities are regularly updated, inspected, and controlled for continued production of parts with tolerances as low as +/-.0001” (+/- .0025mm), and our machining processes are certified for even the most difficult, complex medical device and implant manufacturing.

To learn more about our full services available to the medical industry, please request a quote or request more information about our precision machining services.

Benefits of Cross-functional Teams for High-Quality Design/Build Contract Manufacturing

There are many areas of industry that require highly specialized facilities, equipment, and skills. From medical devices to military equipment, the components and full assemblies made for industries that require such precision and accuracy have one characteristic in common. Each of the components made for these industries take human lives in its hands whenever it operates. For example, medical devices and tools support the safety and health of patients, and aerospace components keep people in the air and protected as they travel. MultiSource Manufacturing, LLC understands the importance of extreme precision and quality in contract manufacturing for all of these industries. With our cross-functional teams and a design/build approach to fabrication, we can provide industry-leading products with long-term integrity and reliability.

The MultiSource network provides precision-based custom manufacturing for the medical and aerospace industry, with a deep knowledge of how any given component can affect the lives of those it comes into contact with. Our team of hard-working engineers and technicians don’t take lightly the fact that our parts and assemblies must work at peak excellence for the long term. Because of this, we make use of a cross-functional team that allows the MultiSource network to work as a one-stop-shop design/build manufacturer.

Cross-functional Teams for Contract Manufacturing

Engineers: Our team of in-house engineers works one-on-one with our clients, taking their specifications or original design and creating a prototype or virtual design that meets those requirements. MultiSource engineers are skilled in structuring a schedule for the fabrication of any given component or full assembly. This includes design, production lead times, testing, quality control, and delivery.

Material Suppliers: Once our engineering team has a comprehensive design and schedule projected for complete, quality manufacturing, the next step is to find the right materials. Our engineering team is also key in determining what materials are best suited to any given component. MultiSource works with trusted suppliers for high-quality materials of all kinds, from the best stainless steels to exotic metal alloys.

Sub-Tier Suppliers: When production is complete, MultiSource works with NADCAP accredited sub-tier suppliers for aerospace manufacturing and select outside suppliers for certain parts utilized in medical device manufacturing. These process suppliers provide extensive materials testing to ensure components and other parts are highly reliable and well suited to your project.

Process Engineers: Our process engineering team provides in-depth knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of any given components. This knowledge allows our engineers to understand the limitations and tolerances of an assembly based on the structure of each component. Our process engineering is critical for predicting how a part will react to any stresses, expected or otherwise.

For aerospace and medical device production alike, every step of the fabrication process requires attention to detail, understanding of the materials involved, and state-of-the-art equipment. The cross-functional teams at MultiSource Manufacturing can provide this degree of excellence as a contract manufacturing provider. To learn more about our manufacturing services contact us at (952) 456-5500, request more information, or request a quote online.

Understanding Guidelines for Surgical Steel Used in Quality Medical Manufacturing

Among the many high-quality services MultiSource Manufacturing, LLC, provides with our network of facilities is the design and fabrication of medical device components. When it comes to manufacturing parts and components for medical devices, it’s critical to the health and safety of every patient across the world to establish extremely high standards for reliability, quality, and precision. MultiSource is dedicated to maintaining manufacturing practices that exceed standards for the medical device industry, including responsible materials-sourcing for all projects we take on. For many medical manufacturing projects, the parts and components require surgical-grade steel in order to fabricate the most reliable medical devices.

 

Surgical-grade steel is a nonspecific term for a variety of stainless steels used in the fabrication of many different tools, including most medical devices and other biomedical purposes.

 

Surgical Steel

 

The surgical steel utilized in most medical applications includes:

 

  1. Austenitic 316: This surgical steel is an alloy of nickel, chromium, and molybdenum that is highly resistant to corrosion and has adequate strength for medical devices and implants that are pressure-bearing. Alloys also used for pressure-bearing biomedical implants are typically titanium (Ti6Al4V, specifically), but the surgical steel 316 is also suitable, and it’s more economical than titanium.
  2. Martensitic 440 and 420: These steels are used for cutlery production, but they are also well suited for surgical-grade applications of the material. As high-carbon steels alloyed with chromium, 440 and 420 surgical-grade steels are very resistant to corrosion, though less so than 316. However, they are much harder than 316. Because they are harder than 316 but not as resistant to corrosion, 440 and 420 are often used to manufacture surgical implements and medical cutting tools.

 

The MultiSource network utilizes 316, 440, and 420 surgical-grade steels as well as a range of additional industry-approved and safely-sourced materials to fabricate many key components that go into a variety of medical devices. From surgical equipment to implantable devices, medical providers can rely on MultiSource to manufacture the highest quality parts and components that are the most reliable in the long term thanks to the materials used and the expertise of our fabricators.

 

Some of the more unusual and advanced medical manufacturing projects that we take on, like designing and producing parts for surgical navigation or ablation devices, benefit especially from our surgical-grade materials and our excellence in fabrication because of their unique complexities and relatively new introduction into medicine.

 

To learn more about our services in medical manufacturing or to partner with us, request more information or a quote online.

Creating Components for Drug Delivery Systems with Quality Medical Device Manufacturing

Whether you are an OEM or other fabricator of medical equipment, you understand the importance of accuracy, reliability, and quality in the final product. Medical professionals and patients alike put their trust into tools and equipment that are manufactured in a separate place, by different people, often with standards and quality control that is not quickly identifiable. The reason hospitals, providers, and patients are able to put their trust into these external sources of equipment is because of the strict regulations the FDA, ISO, and other agencies place on manufacturer facilities and practices. MultiSource Manufacturing LLC goes above and beyond industry standards and regulations with our contract medical device manufacturing services.

 

As a manufacturer of custom medical device components, MultiSource is committed to maintaining up-to-date ISO standards as well as meeting our own high standards, while striving continually to expand and improve our practices and facilities. Our capabilities for fabricating parts and components for OEM medical devices range from surgical tools to implantable devices and beyond. One aspect of the medical device manufacturing we offer is for drug delivery system components.

 

Drug Delivery Systems

Because of the wide range of ways they are prescribed, drugs can be introduced to a patient in various ways. Drug delivery systems is a broad term for an extensive spectrum of devices and tools. Overall, the purpose of a drug delivery system is to perform targeted treatment of a controlled dosage dependent on the conditions of the patient. The components we fabricate are utilized in many types of drug delivery systems, including, among others:

 

  1. intravenous delivery systems
  2. anesthetic delivery devices
  3. infusion pumps
  4. intrauterine devices
  5. magnetic drug delivery
  6. inhalation systems
  7. digital medicine
  8. nasal spray devices
  9. catheterization devices
  10. emulsion vaccinations
  11. target-controlled infusion
  12. transdermal devices
  13. chemotherapy and radiation devices
  14. ultrasound drug delivery
  15. EpiPens and other auto-injectors
  16. nanoparticle drug delivery
  17. capsule and pill fabrication devices
  18. extended-release systems

 

Without access to the wide range of drug delivery systems available today, medical professionals would not be able to provide the treatments they do in order to daily promote health and save lives. MultiSource is dedicated to manufacturing components for drug delivery systems that meet exact specifications for form and function with key attentions to how a part will promote safe practices for medical devices of all kinds. Our own quality control standards meet the strictest stipulations for design, process, finishing, inspection, testing, packing, shipping, and traceability—all while we maintain open communication with our customers from start to finish.

 

To learn more about the components we fabricate for drug delivery systems and the quality control standards we meet with each stage of manufacturing, contact MultiSource Manufacturing LLC at (952) 456-5500 today. For more information about our services in comprehensive medical device manufacturing and other fabrication capabilities, request more information or request a quote online.

 

 

 

MD&M West 2018 and MultiSource’s Support to the Medical Device Industry

The 2018 Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) Exposition is fast approaching its annual show in Anaheim, CA. From February 6th to 8th, thousands of medical technology suppliers from across the globe will come together in the largest medical device industry exposition in the country. MultiSource Manufacturing LLC is proud to be sending some of our professionals to attend and join our industry-leading customers and partners. Our expertise in manufacturing components for the medical device industry includes almost 30 years of experience in providing full-service contract manufacturing support, from prototyping, fabrication, and assembly to inspection. Attending exhibitions such as the MD&M helps us connect with our customers and partners and stay at the forefront of technology.

MultiSource’s work in the medical device industry has continually provided quality parts and components with precision manufacturing, reaction to urgency, and full confidentiality.

The MD&M West expo connects companies across the world specializing in medical technology design, product manufacturing, market distribution, engineers, and medtech suppliers. Each year this exposition creates new partnerships, shows new technology, and serves to advance the state of today’s medical technology.

The MultiSource network consists of a variety of state-of-the-art facilities that contribute to the development of medical device technology and provide the following services:

  • Precision Machining: both horizontal and vertical, live turning, Swiss machining, and 4&5 axis
  • Assembly: both mechanical and electromechanical assembly
  • Design: CAD/CAM design, 3D printing and comprehensive prototype CNC milling, and predictive engineering
  • Plastic Fabrication: bending, forming, welding, and testing
  • Finishing: bead blasting, anodizing, heat treatment, honing, assembly, grinding, plating, and more

Not only does our work in the medical device industry offer quality, dependability, and high skill in the production of parts down to tolerances of +/-.0001” (+/-.0025mm), the MultiSource network also supports the necessary regulatory demands of medical components. We adhere strongly to the values of ethics, confidentiality, quality control, and urgency so critical to the success of our global customers.

We attend the MD&M West expo with the goal to continue learning from others in the medical device industry and keep improving our own comprehensive work in the field.

Check out an event schedule for the Feb. 6-8 expo, and find out more about the exposition here.

As an ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 13485:2016 certified medical device manufacturer with 30 years of experience in the field, you can put your trust in MultiSource Manufacturing LLC as a quality provider for medical device components. Submit a request for more information online, or request a quote online today.