Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1047182
28 SMT007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2018 especially when it comes to dealing with crit- ical industries such as medical electronics, is counterfeit components. Do you see that as a problem? Fricbergs: We deal with the authorized sources, where absolutely possible, of components. That's an internal requirement across our organization. If we need to go outside of those sources, we deal with well-established inde- pendent distributors that have strong coun- terfeit mitigation protocols in place. For exam- ple, the AS6081 counterfeit protocols. So, we do have structured protocols, both external and internal, in place for dealing with that. The availability of components can sometimes pose challenges, but we certainly don't take chances with counterfeit components because the risks for our customers are simply too high. Las Marias: Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you think we should be talk- ing about regarding medical electronics assem- bly or manufacturing? Fricbergs: I talked about some of the challenges with the regulatory regime or framework, which can include requirements like trace- ability; whether the product's manufacturing history needs to be tracked. I should just point out Vexos has some advanced systems across our company to manage those types of require- ments, including an advanced MES system that can track and control our manufacturing processes. The best thing that a medical device manufacturer can do is have these types of systems and processes in place that meet regu- latory requirements so that regardless of the nature and design of the product, we will meet all of the requirements. Goldman: Despina, any final thoughts? Moschou: I've enjoyed listening to the opin- ions of the guys from Vexos who are running a company involved in medical electron- ics because what we are trying to do is a bit unconventional—even for medical electronics. It's also interesting to hear that other medi- cal electronic applications have similar chal- lenges because this traceability is also going to be a huge issue for our devices, especially in a hospital setting. Everyone is asking for details on where this test was used, who used it, and where it came from. The technology is particu- larly important because it combines well with applications like the Internet of Things (IoT). The vision of devices like the ones that I make is that they're all interconnected, so in a hospi- tal environment, you can also have traceability concerning which ward is affected. For example, where do you have an outbreak of an infection? You'll know that immediately without having to report or fill in any paper- work—you only need the device. The same can be applied in epidemic control in a country where you have an outbreak. If you use smart devices like the ones that we are proposing— laboratory devices without anyone having to fill out paperwork or call people to report cases—these devices can be interconnected so you can automatically have a distribution of where your epidemic is. All the state-of-the-art issues that are problems in the industry at the moment are very critical and relevant to the application that I'm developing. Las Marias: Right. Again, thank you very much, Despina, for your time, and also to you, Tom and Kaspars. Reilly: Thank you. Fricbergs: You're welcome. Moschou: Thank you very much, all of you. SMT007 We deal with the authorized sources, where absolutely possible, of components.