MORE COMPACTM O R E A C C U R AT E

FASTER

Piezo Drive Solutions
FOR MEDICAL ENGINEERINGW W W. P I - M E D I C A L . W S

Piezo Technology – Find Out, What’s Inside:
Advanced Technology with Global Orientation
As a privately run company with a healthy growth rate, over 700 employees and a ﬂexible, vertically integrated organization,
PI can meet the most diverse requirements in the area of innovative micropositioning and nanopositioning technology andsupply customers anywhere in the world with outstanding products.
PI develops and manufactures precision positioning solutions for all important markets:■ Semiconductor Technology■ Biotechnology and Medical Engineering■ Laser, Optics, Microscopy■ Precision Manufacturing■ Astronomy■ Micropositioning

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Piezo Drive Solutions for Medical Engineering
Medical engineering and related life-science disciplines have a multi-faceted requirements proﬁle for the motion drives
employed: The spectrum goes from high-precision positioning systems to simple drive components which are compact,
fast, reliable and energy-saving. In these ﬁelds as well, progress goes hand in hand with an increasing miniaturization.
Piezoceramic drives are perfect for both these applications.
Piezo technology as drive solution has proven itself for a long time in optical metrology, micromachining and semiconductor
industry. Physik Instrumente (PI) as leading manufacturer of precision positioning technology already successfully integrates appropriate solutions in a wide variety of medical applications.
The piezoelectric ceramics are developed and manufactured in-house at PI Ceramic, a subsidiary of PI, thus PI can be very
ﬂexible in reacting to customers’ requirements. PI and PI Ceramic therefore can provide a broad spectrum of drives for
medical engineering: From the piezoceramic disk for generating ultrasound through to six-axis positioning systems for load
positioning in strong magnetic ﬁelds.

Here, we’ll show you what’s inside:■ Micropumps■ Nanodispenser■ Pipettors■ Nebulizers■ Bubble detectors and ﬂow metersand here, you can see how drives from PI move you forward in:■ Clinical research■ Diagnostics■ Microscopy■ Therapeutic applications

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Compact Design and High Performance for Micropumps
Micro-diaphragm pumps with dimensions of a few millimeters require compact drives which can provide a continuous ﬂow
and variable ﬂow rates. The small volumes per pumping cycle mean high cycle rates of up to several 10 kHz are necessary
to achieve high ﬂow rates.
Disk-shaped piezo elements from PI Ceramic can be mounted directly on the diaphragm to deﬂect it. Larger ranges or forces
can be achieved if a diaphragm or a piston is coupled directly to a piezoelectric linear drive.

Piezo technology offers:■ Flexible Designs and drive principles: Disks and actuators or piezo motors for unlimited travel ranges■ Flexible modes of motion: Bending, arching, longitudinal and shearing motion■ High force generation for highly viscous media and high operating frequencies■ No friction, no maintenance, no wear
■ Energy saving, stable position when at rest
■ Large-scale production means low costs

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W W W. P I - M E D I C A L . W SCONTINUOUS

VA R I A B L E

Piezoceramic disks can be attached tothe membrane of a micropump andthus move it with high frequency. The
continuous, slow motion of infusion
pumps can also be generated with
piezo drives.

5Precision and Dynamics for Nanodispensers
The drives used for nanoliter or picoliter dosing devices must operate with high operating frequencies of up to several
kHz and at the same time produce the kinetic energy required to generate tiny droplets without subsequent dripping,nebulization or satellite formation.
Piezo actuators are ideal for this: They can switch valves directly, and can also work against a closing spring or a ﬂexible
tube for volume displacement.

Piezo technology offers:■ Flexible designs: Benders, stack actuators■ High force generation, high acceleration, high operating frequencies■ No friction, no maintenance, no wear
■ Energy saving, stable position when at rest

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■ Large-scale production means low costs

W W W. P I - M E D I C A L . W S

E X T R E M E LY A C C U R AT E

C O S T- E F F E C T I V E

POWERFUL

Here a piezo actuator opens and closes
a valve. For greater stroke the piezo
motion is ampliﬁed by levers. Lift andopening duration determine the metered amount. Alternatively, the piezodoses directly in peristaltic displacement methods.

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Uniform Force while Pipetting
Very small but fast drives are required to pipette with smaller and smaller devices and sample separations. At the same timethey must produce sufﬁcient force to move the pipettes in the vertical direction and to dose the media.
This is not a problem for piezo motors. They operate with a tiny footprint as a direct linear drive and can generate highforces. The forward motion occurs with uniform speed and can be controlled with micrometer accuracy.

Piezo technology offers:■ Compact actuators or linear motors with unlimited travel range■ Depending on application requirement: Fast, precise, powerful■ High throughput by high speed up to several 100 mm/s
■ Force generation in the region of 10 N
■ No spindles or gears which are susceptible to wear
■ Self-locking with stable position at rest with no energy consumption

8■ The piezo actuators used are produced on a large scale thus keeping costs down

W W W. P I - M E D I C A L . W S

U N L I M I T E D T R AV E L R A N G E

POWERFUL

ADAPTABLE

A compact piezo motor pushes thepipette to the target position and thenmoves the piston. The volumes can bevaried.

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Generation of Homogenous Aerosols
Medication specially formulated for the respiratory tract can be gently administered using atomizers. For accurate dosing
and optimum efﬁcacy, it is necessary to produce particularly homogenous aerosols. Specially shaped piezo membranes
generate a uniform, high-frequency ultrasonic oscillation which quickly and efﬁciently produces droplets of a predeﬁned size.

Piezo technology offers:■ Flexible designs: Rings, disks or small plates■ Flexible modes of motion: Bending, arching, longitudinal or shearing motion■ High force generation, high acceleration and high operating frequencies■ No friction, no maintenance, no wear
■ Large-scale production means low costs

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WEAR-FREE

RELIABLE

An annular piezo disk excites a perforated membrane with oscillations up to100 kilohertz. Medication is thus quickly
and efﬁciently atomized.

11Reliable Flow Measurement and Bubble Detection
Dialysis or blood transfusions are vital and highly sensitive processes. Amongst other things, it is important to recognize
air bubbles or impurities quickly and reliably. Ultrasound sensors made of piezo elements work without direct contact tothe medium and need no maintenance. The sensors capture the ﬂow velocity or they are used in Air Bubble Detectors (ABD)to detect bubbles.

Piezo technology offers:■ Flexible, compact designs: Rings, disks, small plates■ Flexible ranges, high force generation and acceleration■ No friction, no maintenance, no wear
■ The piezo actuators used are produced on a large scale thus keeping costs down

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MAINTENANCE-FREESAFE

The piezo element works both as anultra-sound generator and a sensor.
The measurement method uses theDoppler effect: Oscillations with a few
100 kHz are reﬂected by the mediumand reabsorbed. Frequency offsets andchanges in the reﬂection image reliably
show throughput rate and air bubbles.

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PRECISE

L A R G E T R AV E L R A N G E SFAST

Precision in Visualization and Microscopy
Visualization is just as important in medical diagnostics as it is for example in the manufacture of implants or artiﬁcial limbs.
Screening employs microscopy methods to visualize time-dependent changes caused by active agents in different dosages.
With implants, optical measuring methods produce three-dimensional CAD models, making impressions unnecessary, forexample. All these applications involve the movement of lenses and objects or samples.
Piezo actuators and positioning systems are just what is needed here.

PI‘s positioning systems offer:■ Motions along an optical axis, XY(Z) scans or 6-D motions■ Wide range of models: Piezo actuators, piezo drive systems and classic motors■ Flexible ranges of a few micrometers to several 100 millimeters■ High precision down to 1 nm and high positional stability■ High operating frequencies up to several 100 Hz■ Piezo drives mean no friction, no maintenance, no wear
■ Piezo drives are self-locking: They consume no energy when at rest15

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6 DEGREES OF FREEDOMHIGH FORCEPRECISE

Increased Efﬁciency for Diagnostics and Therapy
Automated processes are a step towards more efﬁciency – in medical engineering as well. Diagnosis and therapy getquicker and more precise and with that are more gentle for patients. Piezo drives have many application ﬁelds, for example laser beam control in cosmetic applications and ophthalmology, where they move tip/tilt stages or linear scanners
and lenses with precision. Six-axis hexapod systems support surgeons in their work – they move and guide instruments
or endoscopes with precision, or precisely position patients under a radiation source during diagnosis and therapy.

Positioning systems with diverse drives from PI offer:■ Flexible forms of motion right through to 6-D motion in all spatial directions■ Flexible forces of a few N up to several 100 kN■ Flexible ranges of a few micrometers to several 100 millimeters■ High positional stability and precision down to 1 nm
■ High operating frequencies up to several 100 Hz■ Piezo drives mean no friction, no maintenance, no wear
■ Piezo drives are self-locking: They consume no energy when at rest17

Piezo Technology from Physik Instrumente (PI):One Technology, Many Possibilities
Piezo elements convert electrical energy directly into mechanical energy and vice versa. Their motion is based on crystalline displacements, so there is neither friction nor wear. Piezoceramic components can be used as ultrasonic generators,actuators or sensors. Piezo actuators can reach larger travel ranges by layering individual piezoceramic elements. To keep
the operating voltages low, the individual layers in the so-called multilayer actuators are very thin.
PI produces its multilayer actuators with the coﬁred technology. This technology guarantees highest reliability. The actuators are electrically insulated in a way which is humidity resistant and are used in medical engineering, e.g. in dosing applications, pumps and valves.

PI’s piezo technology offers:■ Flexible, compact designs: Rings, disks, small plates, benders, stack actuators■ High sensitivity and motion resolution of less than 1 nanometer■ High operating and measuring frequencies up to several 100 kHz■ No friction, no maintenance, no wear
■ They consume no energy when at rest
■ Large-scale production means low costs■ Mechanically integrated systems for shielding, guiding and increasing the travel range

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Piezoelectric Motors for Large Travel Ranges
Drives that are based on piezomotors combine the high stiffness and dynamics of pure piezo actuators with unlimited travel
ranges. They also operate with high resolution in the nanometer range. This means they can always replace conventional
motor-spindle combinations when these are not small, precise, fast, powerful or reliable enough. Different versions cover awide variety of application requirements.

All technologies have however some common qualities:■ Compact design■ Different forms of integration: From linear drive to integrated positioning systems with respective electronics■ Self-locking with stable position at rest with no energy consumption■ Ultrasonic piezo linear drives: Small, fast, low cost, to around 10 N
■ Piezo stepping drives: Small, nanometer accuracy, high dynamics, 10 N to approx. 500 N

19PIEZONANO

POSITIONING

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JAPAN© Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG
All contents, including texts, graphics, data etc., as well as their layout, aresubject to copyright and other protective laws. Any copying, modification orredistribution in whole or in parts is subject to a written permission of PI.

Although the information in this document has been compiled with the greatest
care, errors cannot be ruled out completely. Therefore, we cannot guarantee
for the information being complete, correct and up to date. Illustrations may
differ from the original and are not binding. PI reserves the right to supplement
or change the information provided without prior notice.

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W W W. P I - M E D I C A L . W S

BRO23E R1PI Medical Pumping & Dosing 06/2014.1 Subject to change without notice. © Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2014

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