Current pulse

Expanded offering brochure

A new brochure from M.A. Ford Mfg. Co. Inc. features the new high performance 4- and 5-flute end mills, the TuffCut XT. The brochure also includes an expanded offering for the TuffCut XR7, 7-flute ,high-performance end mill. Enhanced tool geometries and improved grinding technology used to manufacture these end mills results in additional strength, lengthening the life of the tool, as well as improving part finishes. The end mills are coated with Altima Blaze, for strong wear resistance, thermal shock stability, and hot hardness. For information on how to order the brochure, call 800.553.8024 or 563.391.6220, e-mail sales@maford.com, or www.maford.com.

Bone substitute with synthetic materials

When Lucia Téllez Jurado and her research team at the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) were working in the synthesis of diverse materials, they realized that the Hydroxylapatite, medullar component of the bone, when obtained synthetically and giving it some characteristics, could be used as a bone substitute.

Téllez Jurado, from the Laboratory of Heavy Materials of Metallurgic Engineer at the Superior School of Chemical Engineering and Extractive Industries (ESIQUE) of the IPN, indicates that the material has been synthetized and small powder has been obtained (nanometrics). With this, molds would be made that may turn out to be fragile, so it would be necessary to add other substances to give them mechanical resistance.

“We are in an early stage of research where we design materials and test compounds,” Jurado says. “For example the Hydroxylapatite, when obtained synthetically conserves its properties and could work as a bone substitute because, according to our studies, doesn’t cause toxicity in the human body.”

The work at IPN is looking for a material with optimal properties that could be applied on a large bone. However, the materials – depending on their properties – can be destined for other body parts. www.invdes.com.mx

CNC SWISS turning capabilities

Connecticut Spring & Stamping (CSS) expands its machining capabilities to include multi-axis CNC Swiss machining. In addition to combining machining disciplines, CSS also has developed a proprietary process that significantly increases processing speed for tubular machined parts.

The new multi-axis Swiss machining capabilities are a natural progression for CSS, which has been machining parts for more than 10 years and maintains a staff of expert skilled machinists. The CNC Swiss machine, a bar-fed automatic lathe that uses single-point tooling to produce intricate finished parts with virtually no requirements for grinding or other secondary operations, enables the company to process additional parts for customers in its controlled environment. www.ctspring.com

Cardiologist-friendly tool

Procyrion is developing a cardiologist-friendly tool for the catheter lab. The minima-lly invasive cath-lab tool and the outpatient procedure aims to reduce procedural risks when compared to full-support, circulatory-assist devices that require invasive surgery and 40 days in the hospital, on average. Unlike other circulatory-assist devices, the Procyrion device is deployed downstream of the heart, eliminating the risk of damage to the heart or valves and simplifying the deployment.

Procyrion’s intra-aortic pump utilizes fluid entrainment to augment native blood flow resulting in an acceleration of fluid, a net increase in cardiac output, and reduced work of the heart through afterload reduction. This partial support system is well suited for patients in NYHA Stage III to early Stage IV heart failure who do not need full cardiac replacement. In addition, the fluid entrainment approach enables an extremely low profile design, which is suitable for minimally invasive, trans-catheter deployment and retrieval. www.procyrion.com