Ansys, a provider of engineering simulation software and technologies, announced that medical equipment makers can use its HFSS software, a finite element method (FEM) electromagnetic field simulation, to validate their transmitter designs.
In February, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled that the FEM is a valid technique to simulate a medical device that must communicate with other similar devices.
This is a significant development for both Ansys and specific electromagnetic applications in the healthcare industry. The FCC ruling will enable medical device developers to cut development time and costs while meeting safety standards, company officials said.
“The medical device market is rapidly innovating to meet consumer demands and satisfy regulatory safety requirements,” said Markus Kopp, product manager for electronics at ANSYS, in a statement.
The FCC ruling allows researchers to innovate with HFSS, developing new approaches that they can get to market faster. As a result, public will have immediate access to life-enhancing medical devices.
ANSYS requested the Federal Commission to grant a waiver to the Medical Device Radiocommunication Service rules to permit FEM environmental evaluation of medical implant or body-worn equipment. The recent FCC ruling granting the waiver cited scientific literature stating that FEM is a sound engineering technique.
“The HFSS finite element solution is extremely valuable for designing antenna systems for implantable devices,” said Mark Lanciault, principal electrical engineer, Cambridge Consultants, innovative product development partners for big companies.
Developers of medical devices need to ensure that their equipment meets radio frequency (RF) emission safety standards. Manufacturers must comply with specific absorption rate (SAR) regulations.
HFSS software, which employs FEM simulation to verify SAR and RF emissions, can reduce development time and costs while increasing reliability and design optimization, according to Ansys officials.
Recently, Ansys announced that it is playing an invaluable role in a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project to develop innovative smart antenna systems.
The use of Ansys technology will enable the Gonzaga University to test antenna design performance virtually, reducing time and costs associated with expensive prototype build-and-test methods.
Rajani Baburajan is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of Rajani's articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Janice McDuffee
