Helbling Technik Wil AG

Helbling is at the forefront of digital visualization and visual assisted interactions. We employ our XR lab to develop, prototype, test and implement applications in the field of virtual, augmented and mixed reality. For instance, Helbling developed an AR pipetting solution and an application for coating performance monitoring.

Our XR applications and solutions support users during manual operations and handling with real-time feedback, enhanced training, simulation features and leverage data acquisition and analytics. With the support by XR technology, we can lower the risk of misuse, wastage and enhance quality and operational excellence in production processes, training and simulation.

Project Description

Chronic or hard-to-heal wounds represent a major challenge for global health care systems as they create a severe financial burden. Chronic wounds persist for months or even years with a very slow healing progress. Patients suffer from pain and immobility, which dramatically reduces their quality of life.

Piomic Medical AG has developed the COMS® technology that uses combined optical and magnetic stimulation to promote wound healing. The COMS® technology has shown encouraging first clinical results.
In an early stage Piomic mandated Helbling to envision industrialized products based on the COMS® technology to the supporters of the start-up company incorporated in 2016. After this successful early stage, Piomic mandated Helbling with the design and development of the portable, easy-to-use and hand-held medical device of class IIa. The challenge was to shrink the technology to a portable, industrialized series product in compliance with ISO 13485 and IEC 60601-1 ready for the registration for the EU market on a tight project time schedule.
Key data and technical details

- Portable and battery-operated
- High-power LEDs and a custom-wound coil
- Use in outpatient clinics or home use with trained personnel
- Water-proof USB-C interface for charging and service
- Water-proof injection-moulded housing assembly (IP44 tested)
- Elastomeric grip surfaces to enhance the haptics
- Therapy progress indication
- User-friendly interface to the sterile disposable

 Services
- Elaboration and rendering of product visions
- Joint elaboration and refinement of the design input including usability requirements
- Electromagnetic emission simulations, energy calculations and thermal behavior experiments
- Realization and testing of functional and usability prototypes for proof-of-concepts
- System and software risk assessments including the implementation, tracing and verification of the resulting risk mitigations.
- Design for manufacturing of all components in compliance with IEC 60601-1 and applicable collateral and particular standards
- Implementation, integration and verification of the embedded software in compliance with IEC 62304
- Planning and execution of the design verification and managing respective design changes
- Creation of the ISO 13485 compliant and comprehensive technical documentation

Result / Success
The created product visions helped the start-up customer to substantiate their business plan and successfully complete a seed financing round.
Helbling helped to create a highly integrated, compact and waterproof device design requiring a minimum assembly effort. This was achieved in close collaboration with the customer and manufacturing companies.
The technical documentation for EU registration and compliance was created supporting the customer in the ongoing certification process.

Reference Customer
Piomic Medical AG

Surgeons need information about bone quality in order to provide the best possible treatment for femoral neck or vertebral fractures. In the past, they have relied on computed tomography (CT) scans performed prior to the surgical procedure. This kind of imaging, however, only gives them a rough estimation of bone quality and, in particular, density. DensiProbeTM gives them a tool that they can use to obtain precise bone density information during an operation by measuring breakthrough torque. Helbling developed DensiProbeTM on behalf of a respected research institute.

Bone quality assessments have been a concern of the medical technology industry for some time. If a patient’s bone quality is in the critical range, for instance, the surgeon needs to adapt the procedure accordingly by selecting more suitable screw and plate systems. This is particularly true in the case of older patients who frequently suffer from osteoporosis (bone loss). In the past, however, bone density could only be assessed preoperatively with a CT scan. Hence a renowned private research institute decided to develop an instrument that would allow surgeons to perform intraoperative bone density measurements. The institute had the required medical expertise to carry out the conceptual design work for the DensiProbeTM as a system, and was focusing its resources on the interfaces to users (surgeons) and conducting clinical studies. On the strength of its proven expertise in the areas of embedded systems, low-power electronics, battery management, measurement technology and USB communication, Helbling was awarded the contract for developing the technical aspects of the overall measurement module. The biggest challenge was that the instrument should be battery-operated and easy to handle. On top of that, Helbling needed to observe all of the regulatory requirements of the EU Medical Device Directive and ISO 13485.

Reference Customer: AO Foundation

Project description
Elenza, a US medtech firm, has developed the world’s first electronic Autofocal Intraocular Lens (AF-IOL). The “ELENZA Sapphire AutoFocal IOL” is designed to give patients a seamless visual range, providing effective near, intermediate and distance vision after a cataract operation. The technology is based on a diffractive lens element that is electrically activated by means of a liquid crystal. Accommodation is triggered by minute changes in pupil size. Helbling Technik collaborated with Elenza and other partners to develop the different technologies, which it integrated into a viable product design.

Project description
Scientists used to require several pieces of equipment and a multi-step process to purify biomolecules like nucleic acids or proteins. Nowadays, the QIAcube does it all automatically – in one square meter of space. Helbling developed this device for and in collaboration with QIAGEN, from the initial idea through to series production.

QIAGEN wanted to bring a device to market as swiftly as possible that could automatically purify protein or nucleic acid samples in QIAGEN’s proven spin columns rather than using the current manual process. Automated systems such as this would not only boost laboratories’ productivity but also improve the reproducibility and reliability of test results. Additionally, the automated system needed to be compact and easy enough to operate that even smaller labs could make efficient use of it. Since the internal R&D department was working to capacity on the development of another device platform, QIAGEN was looking for an external development partner with the necessary know-how: from mechanics, electronics and software all the way to liquid handling. On the basis of these criteria, QIAGEN chose Helbling and thus to continue the successful collaboration which had already begun many years before.

Project description
Fixcontrol GmbH is a start-up. The idea behind the business is to offer a control and time measurement system for various sports that is based on fixed, readable control points and a data logger worn by the athlete. The system’s enhanced flexibility and adaptability enable a solution for a variety of uses, including orienteering and running events held by schools, clubs and tourist organizations.

A particular challenge for running events in which participants are required to navigate to designated control points (orienteering, patrols, etc.) is to automate as much as possible the registration and measuring of time at each control point, without placing any restrictions on the runner. Existing systems use intelligent (and therefore costly) control points as well as low-tech tags that the runners wear.

Fixcontrol aims to change this traditional approach and in so doing generate some decisive advantages: The control points are inexpensive NFC tags that can also be installed permanently. The device used for time measurement and registration is ultra-light, easy to use and is worn by the runner. The device can be read and configured using a standard radio link. The system also includes a software suite for evaluation and analysis as well as a solution for additional data evaluation using a mobile device.

Helbling  was able to bring its vast experience in the development of miniaturized, battery-driven measuring systems to the project. It also drew on its many years of project experience in software engineering and IoT applications. Thus Fixcontrol was able to fully benefit from Helbling’s know-how.

Project description
Gel card technology is used to determine blood type and has become a well-established and widespread standard method. Gel cards on laboratory machines are automatically processed in high throughput applications. Together with a medtech company, Helbling has developed a gel card spinner module deployed on one of the most up-to-date platforms for laboratory devices.

Driven by a customer project and a new application, a new gel card spinner module was to be designed and developed in minimal time. The fixed space ratios on the laboratory machine deck, the transfer positions to the gripper and the xyz robot as well as control via a defined electronics and software interface needed to be accounted for.

Since the company’s own development department was working to capacity on other projects, our customer took the decision to develop the product with an external partner that had the required know-how. Experience in agile system development, the design of rotating machines, electronics and software was particularly important. On the basis of these criteria, the customer chose Helbling and thus to continue the successful collaboration which had already begun many years before.