The Client

The client is a public company that develops, manufactures and commercializes medical imaging devices for the diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases. They are one of the world's leading manufacturers of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheters and functional measurement guide wires, which are small enough to slip inside the coronary artery and give doctors information about the condition of the artery and peripheral vessels, including plaque and lesions and measure intracoronary blood flow.

The Challenge

Through collaborative industry efforts, the client learned of Endicott Interconnect and its manufacturing capabilities. The client wanted to automate the assembly process for the manufacture of their new IVUS catheter. They also needed help with process development and a second, temporary manufacturing source because they could not afford to risk production stoppages on their line for development activity. 

The IVUS catheter assembly consists of a flexible substrate with multiple die and a PZT (receiver/transmitter) assembled on it. The subassembly then returns to the client for final assembly including dicing and rolling the flexible substrate up to fit into the tip of the catheter. The client was also experiencing quality and delivery problems with their current flexible substrate supplier.

The client produces two configurations of a PC Workstation Patient Interface Unit that works with the IVUS catheters. They were experiencing challenges during the manufacture of the PC Workstation's electromechanical assemblies; limited manufacturing and test capability was proving to be a major obstacle to meeting the increasing production demands.

The IVUS catheter slips inside the coronary artery, giving doctors a view of a patient's artery from the inside.

How it Works