You need to measure force for your design project, but you don’t know exactly what to search for. Do you need a strain gauge? A load cell? A force sensor? A load cell sensor? A force sensitive resistor? These terms can get confusing, especially since many of these terms are often used interchangeably. While this is not an exhaustive look at all the different types of technology out there, in this article we discuss the most common types of force measurement technology and attempt to provide some clarity on the situation. What is a Strain Gauge?  A strain gauge is a sensor that undergoes a ..read more

In society today, technology plays a crucial role in almost all industries as well as in our personal life. In particular, the healthcare and medical sector is where technology is essential. Combining the latest technologies and medical device software development; this enables the healthcare industry to provide cutting edge procedures, treatment, and medical diagnosis; saving lives around the world. These advancements in medical devices are assisting physicians to determine diagnosis quickly, give continuous monitoring, and overall provide better treatments.    What are Non – I ..read more

What Are Bubble Sensors And Why Are They Needed?       What are Bubble Sensors? SMD Bubble sensors are used to detect the presence of bubbles in almost any fluid and tubing material for medical devices such as dialysis machines, transfusion lines and infusion lines. These air bubble detectors play a critical role in the device and are mandatory to maintain a steady flow and prevent problems from air embolism.     What is Air Embolism? An air embolism can occur when a gas bubble infiltrates a vein or artery. This gas bubble blocks blood from passing through, so therefo ..read more

What is a Load Cell? Load cells are a fairly common mechanism used in our everyday life. Take a standard morning routine of stepping on a scale to check your weight as an example. This mechanism utilizes a load cell to find out our specific measurements/ weight dimensions. A load cell is a force gauge that consists of a transducer that is used to create an electrical signal whose magnitude is directly proportional to the force being measured. There are four common types of load cells. Pneumatic, hydraulic, strain gauge and capacitance. We explain this below; Strain Gauge Load Cell This is one ..read more

Load Cells – Understanding the Importance of Accuracy  Accuracy – the quality or state of being correct or precise – is a critical factor in engineering and application development. To ensure correctness and precision is achieved, load sensors play the critical role of measuring and testing force, weight, and torque for applications.   High-quality load cells and sensors are important for applications in many industries. If absolute accuracy is critical for your design, choosing the right load cell is important.  Here is a closer look at the critical factors required for ac ..read more

Bioprocessing is a broad term encompassing the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of products prepared from or used by biological systems, including food, feed, fuels, biopharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. In other words, bioprocessing is the alteration or application of biologically derived materials for use as products or feedstocks to formulate products beneficial to society. The bioprocessing industry requires the frequent and repeated use of liquid-based operations. To support these applications both flow rate, and fluid level must be closely monitored and maint ..read more

Custom Non-Invasive and Standard Ultrasonic Sensors SMD Sensors is using ultrasonic level sensors to design continuous liquid level detection solutions for tanks and bottles. These sensors mount on the top or bottom of a vessel and, by measuring the amount of time it takes for a transmitted wave to bounce off of the fluid surface and come back, they are able to continuously and reliably measure the height of the liquid in a tank. These sensors are versatile and can be used in a vast array of applications.   Some of these applications include: Oil tanks Water tank/Wat ..read more

Experimental chemists, biologists, and medical scientists often seek to measure the presence of small molecules within their solutions. Doing so allows for testing a wide variety of different medical hypotheses. This important research depends on repeatable and highly accurate medical devices and analytical instruments. As fluid flows through these instruments, there is a potential for bubbles to form in the fluid. Bubbles may be caused by small leaks at connections or from outgassing if the device or instrument applies heat to the fluid. Bubbles can cause significant errors in the collected d ..read more

What Is Autoclavable? What does it mean when saying “Autoclavable Sensors”? Autoclavable devices require compatibility with high heat, moisture and often bleach or other high pH fluids. Medical devices that come in contact with human tissues or fluids are considered to be high-risk devices and they require sterilization so they must undergo autoclave processes after each procedure. Hygenic medical devices that require autoclave operations might include surgical staplers, surgical robots, handheld surgical devices, dental tools, medical examination procedures. Our autoclavable sensors can even ..read more

Newborn health screenings are important because they assist health professionals with the understanding and identification of potentially treatable conditions as early as possible. Some of the earliest screenings monitor the baby’s blood, hearing, and oximetry. For the 15 million babies born preterm each year, monitoring and screening is an even more vital necessity. Sensors used in these standardized tests are checking to see if the baby responds to sounds and to measure the amount of oxygen in the skin to discover possible heart problems. Because complications and extreme dangers can occur i ..read more