Nadat ze de industrie al hadden overgenomen, veroveren robots nu de medische wereld. De voordelen zijn duidelijk: nooit moe, maximale precisie en snelheid, optimale ergonomie. Deskundigen zien het gebruik ervan als de volgende evolutie in de behandeling van patiënten. Nu al worden robotsystemen gebruikt in een aantal chirurgische toepassingen, zoals in de orthopedie, de neurologie, de thorax- en cardiovasculaire chirurgie en KNO-geneeskunde. Naast de gevestigde fabrikanten zijn er ook innovatieve start-ups op de markt gekomen.

meer

Diabetes is in onze maatschappij een van de wijdst verbreide aandoeningen. Bij een te late of onjuiste behandeling kunnen belangrijke organen, zoals hart, ogen en nieren, ernstig beschadigd raken. Chronisch zieke patiënten kunnen optimaal controle houden over hun behandeling met een insulinepomp ‑ met micromotoren van FAULHABER.

meer

Onderzoekers hopen dat ze snel in staat zullen zijn om kankercellen te bestrijden zonder gezond weefsel te beschadigen, dankzij zogenaamde biologicals. Deze nieuwe actieve componenten sporen specifieke moleculaire kenmerken van abnormale cellen op en helpen bij de systematische vernietiging ervan. Om biologicals op maat te vinden voor verschillende soorten kanker, moet een groot aantal farmaceutische kandidaten worden onderzocht.

meer

Elke dag worden in analytische laboratoria grote hoeveelheden samples onderzocht. Het voordeel van automatisering op dit gebied ligt voor de hand: Automatisering zorgt voor snellere resultaten, een hogere capaciteit, minder fouten en lagere personeelskosten. Voor een soepele werking van de aandrijfsystemen zijn een hoge dynamiek en een grote nauwkeurigheid van essentieel belang.

meer

Er zijn veel ervaringen die we liever niet meemaken. Operaties onder volledige narcose en met kunstmatige beademing zijn daar voor de meeste mensen een voorbeeld van. Vergeleken met generaties voor ons hebben wij echter een groot voordeel: de laatste jaren heeft de medische technologie zich in sneltreinvaart ontwikkeld. Zo dragen innovatieve anesthesie- en beademingssystemen eraan bij dat de narcose die voor operaties nodig is steeds veiliger en minder belastend wordt. Aandrijfsystemen die perfect zijn afgestemd op deze geavanceerde systemen spelen hierin een sleutelrol.

meer

Veters strikken, beddengoed opvouwen, een zak chips openmaken, de lijst met dingen die moeilijk te doen zijn met één hand is lang. Mensen met een aangeboren afwijking of mensen die door een ongeluk een hand hebben verloren worden dagelijks met dit soort hindernissen geconfronteerd. Om hun dagelijks leven makkelijker te maken heeft het Britse bedrijf Steeper de myo-elektronische handprothese Bebionic ontwikkeld. Krachtige motoren van FAULHABER zorgen ervoor dat de prothese probleemloos snel en stevig kan grijpen en dat de grijpkracht daarbij constant blijft.

more

Endodontie of endodontologie is een onderdeel van de tandheelkunde. Binnen dit gebied worden veel behandelingen uitgevoerd aan het wortelkanaal, om in geval van een ontstoken pulpa (in de volksmond 'tandzenuw') de tand of kies te redden. Velen kennen de bijbehorende procedure uit eigen ervaring: de tandarts verwijdert de 'zenuw', reinigt het wortelkanaal en vult het op. Deze behandeling vereist grote zorgvuldigheid en is niet altijd even simpel: de tand moet immers behouden blijven en de patiënt moet zo lang mogelijk pijnvrij blijven. Dankzij nieuwe kennis, technieken en systemen kunnen vandaag de dag echter ook moeilijke wortelkanaalbehandelingen succesvol en met een zo laag mogelijke belasting voor de patiënt worden uitgevoerd. Daar heeft de moderne aandrijftechniek een belangrijke bijdrage aan geleverd. DC-miniatuuraandrijfsystemen van FAULHABER vormen de drijvende kracht achter de nieuwe endodontiesystemen die tegenwoordig steeds vaker te vinden zijn in de tandartsenpraktijk.

meer

Grasping with suitable pressure, without damaging or dropping objects, touching and feeling the shape and texture of something: healthy people do this hund reds of times each day without having to consider it. How ever, these movements embody a complex sequence. Artificially reproducing this sequence mounts to a real challenge, which a team of researchers have now successfully mastered for the fi rst time with the LifeHand 2 project − supported by micromotors from FAULHABER.

meer

For some years now, tattoos have gained mainstream acceptance. Just in Germany there are about five million people who have a tattoo. Women are also now enhancing their beauty with "permanent make-up", whereby eyeliner or lip contours are permanently applied. What does this have to do with FAULHABER? In the handy machines used for tattoos and permanent make-up there are DC-Micromotors – made in Schönaich.

meer

Automation in medical laboratory diagnostics: Most of us have probably had to provide a blood or urine sample as a patient at the doctor for preventive medical check-ups, prior to operations or for diagnostic purposes. The samples are placed in small test tubes, labelled, taken to the laboratory and – a couple of days later – we, the patients, are informed of the result; we learn our blood, sugar, liver or kidney values. But where is this laboratory located in which our health is analysed, and what exactly happens there? 

meer

Stimulation of parts of the brain: Transcranial magnetic stimulation, abbreviated TMS, is a type of medical treatment in which focussed, strong magnetic fields can be used to both stimulate as well as inhibit areas of the cerebral cortex. With certain neurological and psychological illnesses, this can be used as an alternative to medicinal treatments and offers the advantage of being neither invasive nor painful.

meer

Minimally invasive surgery for laparoscopy relies on highly-sensitive drive technology Modern medical technology makes operations safer and allows conventional surgical methods to be replaced with operations which put less strain on patients.

meer

Dangerously high blood pressure is a frequently undiagnosed illness in the fast-paced world of today. This is a serious problem, as high blood pressure left untreated for many years can trigger a whole series of secondary diseases and skyrocketing treatment costs. To ensure optimal diagnosis and correct medication doses, blood pressure monitoring over a relatively long period of time is essential. A new measuring device in miniature form facilitates extensive, long-term monitoring, without impeding the day-to-day lives of patients. Modern microdrives inside the device ensure the necessary mechanical execution of electronic commands.

meer

A newly developed drug dispenser makes life much easier. Manual work becomes superfluous due to an intelligent automated storage, distribution and dispensing system. The system provides ready-picked "shopping baskets" in accordance with prescription input. This innovation is made possible by the use of powerful yet ­space-saving micromotors used as part of the distribution mechanism.

meer

Technical equipment and systems need power, but electricity can only be stored in small quantities. If wired power is the preferred option, the cables often get in the way. One remedy is provided by systems based on induction or radio waves. But the cost of such systems is mostly greater than their benefit. A new method of "free" power transmission is setting new standards in terms of efficiency and space-saving. It enables actuators and sensors in industrial applications and technical systems to be powered conveniently and at low cost, continuously or discontinuously depending on requirements.

meer

"To sound someone out", this phrase is familiar to all of us. In the context of nerve cells, however, some medical scientists have taken this statement literally. The complex interplay of individual nerve cells or entire groups of nerves has developed into an increasingly practice­related field of fundamental research. The data acquired here can improve the use of control interfaces for artificial limbs or help alleviate the impact of nervous disorders like Parkinson’s disease with new therapies. Here, too, state-of-the-art miniature motors are the key to success. They represent reproducible, accurate motion with minimal space requirement, an important prerequisite in the µm-world of nerve cells.

meer

"When it comes to finding technological ways of dealing with the loss of a limb, for example as the result of the amputation of a leg, two key things need to be taken into account. Firstly, it took nature a long time to develop the perfect "apparatus" to allow humans to move around. Secondly, people are creatures of habit – they tend to carry on moving in the way they‘re used to. All the solutions which have been tried to date, from wooden legs to high-tech prostheses using state-of-the-art materials, have worked in a purely passive way. Something that these devices all have in common is that their function doesn't change during movement. Now, however, a new solution has been developed, centred around the use of microprocessor-controlled prostheses. Just like natural limbs, these can react automatically, adapting to the current situation. Lightweight micromotors, combined with intelligent control technology, offer the chance to walk in a way that feels very similar to natural movement – providing clear benefits for users in terms of both safety and comfort.

meer

An adequate blood supply is essential to living tissue, providing oxygen and nutrients. Poor circulation is thus always a sign of problems somewhere in the body. Often, a simple examination of the skin or tissue is enough to allow such a diagnosis. This is where a newly developed blood circulation measuring device can really show what it's made of: a laser beam scans the patient's circulation through the tissue. A stepper motor works to mechanically position the laser beam. In this way, the sensor system is able to provide reproducible results on a miniature scale. For applications in this field, exact step sizes, appropriate low backlash reduction gears, efficient control, durability and, above all, slimline design are essential prere­quisites for success.

meer

Many standard recurring jobs in routine medical laboratory work are being performed through partial automation and additional manual work involving increased staffing levels, e.g. blood group determination or anti-body tests. Massive savings can be achieved by using state-of-the-art laboratory analysis systems. Their special design enables continuous, fast and reliable laboratory work while deploying fewer members of staff and providing an increased level of safety. It goes without saying that the systems correspond to the common safety requirements in function as well as evaluation performance. Analysis unit, computer and drives are adapted to the challenges of long-term medical usage.

meer

Today, there are many methods of surgery, covering the whole body from head to toe. Eye surgery has now become a standard operation. State-of-the-art technologies, such as laser equipment, have become widespread. All the instruments and apparatus have to be precise and reliable.

meer

Leading a normal life – even as a diabetic. This is no longer wishful thinking but a reality. Thanks to advances made in the last few years, today diabetics can test their own blood glucose levels and adjust their medication accordingly – giving more independence and quality of life.

meer

A miniature, high precision hexapod with 6 DOF is used as guidance assistance for spinal surgery. The bone-mounted system, named SpineAssist, will accurately guide the surgeon for maximized precision when placing implants destined to stabilize spinal (vertebrae) fusions in both open and minimally invasive surgery. A part from the miniature hexapod robot, the system also consists of a preoperative planning software with automatic fluoroscopic and CT image processing and a set of rigid bone fixation clamps and platforms.

meer