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Among the host of applications for projected capacitive (PCI or PCAP touch) products, we will be discussing the medical care environment in this issue of PenMount Bulletin. Customers are the most concerned about PCI touch product reliability and stability and whether these touch panels can operate normally in an operating room or a laboratory filled with medical equipment. PenMount PCI touch controllers and firmware have passed the 2004 version of medical safety IEC 60601-1-2 certification. One of the test items passed by PenMount PCI controllers, IEC 61000-4-3: Radiated fields and Proximity Fields, simulates high frequency interference in the test environment. From this, it can be inferred that PenMount possessed very high product reliability and can reduce the chances of false touches on PCI products. PenMount can also provide long-term and stable delivery support to satisfy the requirements of longer life cycle medical products.

In terms of medical equipment operation, the requirement of no false touches when saline or blood splashes on the PCI touch surface must be considered. The dielectric constant of saline is higher than water’s dielectric constant of 80 and easily causes misjudgment on the part of the PCI touch controller leading to false touches. PenMount PCI controllers have overcome this technical bottleneck and can detect the difference between a finger signal and signals produced by liquids. When saline or blood is detected on the touch panel surface, false touch will not be generated. After users dry the PCI touch surface, touch operation will return to normal.

Medical personnel are required to wear medical grade latex gloves and, sometimes, wear 3-5 layers to prevent glove damage and the risk of infection. Thus, we have tested this practical requirement on standard PenMount PCI firmware to allow support for normal operation while wearing multiple glove layers. At the same time, the panel retains the characteristic of no false touch when wet which is a very useful function combination for medical personnel.

PenMount can also provide hardware and firmware customization according to different project specifications such as: changing connectors used in medical products can be paired to customer designated product models or firmware function and parameter adjustment facilitates customization development. PenMount provides you the most flexible project services.

PenMount’s design philosophy is greater consideration on behalf of customers and understanding actual customer needs to provide comprehensive touch solutions that allow customers to introduce PCI applications. PenMount provides customers with reliable and convenient touch products and a complete series of utilities to fulfill common usage requirements and facilitate your product development. If you have any questions or product inquires, you are welcome to contact us for more information.

You are welcomed to download all of PenMount’s standard product data and drivers directly from our website at: //www.salt.com.tw and //www.PenMount.com. If you have any suggestions or comments please send e-mail to: salt@salt.com.tw or PenMount@seed.net.tw.