Posted to News on 29th Jan 2011, 11:20
Low-noise three-way solenoid valve for medical devices
Lee Products is launching a new, quiet-operation, compact, high-density interface (HDI), three-way solenoid valve for controlling gas or air flows in medical devices. Minimising the noise emitted from bedside medical devices contributes to increased patient comfort and, thanks to the latest design techniques, the valve is claimed to operate with noise levels 50 per cent lower than for other types of solenoid valves.
A typical solenoid valve operates with an inherent clicking sound when energised, which is caused by the metal-to-metal contact of the moving armature and stationary core. With Lee Products' quiet-operation HDI valve, a synthetic hydrocarbon fluid is used in the wetted section of the valve. This effectively dampens the sound level of the valve's components to less than 37dB(A) when recorded and measured at a distance of 24inches and a valve cycle frequency of 10Hz.
Other features of the valve include an operating pressure range of vacuum to 45psig (0-15psid) and a flow capacity on air (three-way model) of 4.4 SLPM at 10psig (1500 Lohms; Cv = 0.013). Operating temperature range is 40 to 120degF and life expectancy is 250million cycles.
Available in face-mount, plug-in and ported configurations, the quiet-operation HDI solenoid valve weighs less than 4.5g and is suitable for medical applications including dialysis machines, patient monitors, ventilators, respirators and other bedside medical devices.
