Industries & Applications

A healthy decision: Harmonic Drive® in diagnostics

Every medical treatment starts with a diagnosis. This is used to determine the clinical picture. Medical personnel can choose from a wide range of different diagnostic options. In instrument based diagnostics, products from Harmonic Drive® provide considerable support for experts in two areas:

Imaging diagnostics: Our actuators are used here for positioning x-ray generators and x-ray detectors. With their support, the positioning process is accurate, energy saving and safe.

Laboratory diagnostics: In this area, drive solutions from Harmonic Drive® are used in automation solutions, such as point of care systems.

When technology becomes a factor in success: Therapy

Following a diagnosis, illnesses must be treated. This stage of medical care often requires operations, where robotics and assistance systems can provide valuable help – these systems are expected to offer the utmost precision and reliability.

Our drive solutions make a significant contribution. Throughout the procedure, the expert performing the operation can rely on the entire team, which includes robotic colleagues.

Harmonic Drive® offers drive solutions for a wide range of assistance systems, such as surgical robots, positioning systems or microscope stands.

Drive for new movement: Rehabilitation

Following treatment, there is often a need for rehabilitation. The aim of this is to restore the patient’s mobility. Training equipment is often used here to actively execute or support the patient’s movements.

As part of the safety-critical drive train, Harmonic Drive® Products in this equipment ensure the safe execution of movements.

One specific type of equipment is the exoskeleton. Designed for long-term use, it is not only used as part of the rehabilitation process. If necessary, it can be a permanent support for the patient.

Patients in focus: Imaging diagnostics

Imaging processes are used in both conventional diagnostics and during operations.

In diagnostics, they provide experts with a view inside the human body, for example, to identify broken bones. During intraoperative use, imaging processes support navigation and can be used to monitor success.

High performance Harmonic Drive® Gears in the CSG and SHG Series are used for the rotation and positioning of C-arms, a familiar system in intraoperative use. In particular, the rigidity of our gears is a key advantage while the generously dimensioned output bearing can support the loads of the C-arm.

Patient orientation – quite literally In the area of conventional diagnostics, stationary x-ray systems are still used but modern positioning technology is increasingly also being implemented. The focus is on the patients – they are not positioned to the device, but instead the x-ray generator and detector is positioned accordingly.

Our CanisDrive® Actuators are particularly useful thanks to their technical details. In addition, supply and data cables can be fed directly through the large hollow shaft – so there are no cables in the way and nothing to restrict the system’s freedom of movement.