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Dear Reader,
Welcome to the premier issue of our newsletter. We hope you find the content of value as you consider how best to satisfy your medical Human Interface Device (HID) requirements.
We welcome your feedback, your questions and your suggestions for topics and/or issues you would like us to address in future newsletters.
Design Differences of a "Medical Grade" Foot Switch
As medical device OEMs know, a product designed for the medical market is fundamentally different from one intended for industrial use. This is also true for a foot switch.
From the bottom pads to the mating connector, the design requirements for a medical-grade foot switch are significantly different from those of an "industrial-grade" unit.
Important design factors for medical use, many of which are often less-critically considered when designing for an industrial application, include:
- Weight
- Cleaning/storage requirements
- Mobility
- Stability
- Sealing
- Drainage
- Compliance with Medical Standards
- Actuator operating forces
- Actuator style/location
- Ergonomics and user comfort
- Patient safety
- User characteristics
Consideration of each of these parameters during the design of the foot switch results in significant benefits to both the OEM and to the user of their Medical Device. A number of these considerations, and their implications, are discussed in our White Paper.
Click here for full text
STEUTE (pronounced "shtoy-tuh") ... specializes in designing and manufacturing fully-compliant, medical-grade, foot-operated controls solely for medical device OEMs. Our headquarters' staff of mechanical, electrical, electronic and software engineers understands your need to demonstrate your medical devices' superiority with an easy-to-use control that is ergonomically-designed for operator comfort and optimum functionality. Hence each product is designed to the OEM's exacting specifications to meet all relevant Standards and Directives ... UL, CSA, IEC, CE, et al. 
Most OEM requirements can be satisfied using our broad array of field-proven foot control components. These include actuator platforms/consoles, actuator styles, actuator operating forces, strain reliefs, cable styles, graphic choices (colors, icons, logos) and analog and/or digital control devices. Such designs optimize functionality, ergonomics, and aesthetics ... without the need for the OEM to incur engineering development or tooling costs.
Please feel free to call 1.203.244.6300 or contact Maurizio Lauria (maurizio.lauria@steuteusa.com) at our Connecticut application engineering and warehouse facility for a no-obligation design consultation.
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