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How to Spec Medical Imaging Insulation, Shielding, or Cushioning: What to Send H-O for a Quote
The fastest imaging-part quote starts with which job the part does, not the material. If you tell H-O whether the part insulates, shields, or cushions, then send the working voltage, the seam geometry and closure force, or the shock duty, engineering can recommend a family and grade and quote a die-cut part in one pass. This is the checklist that turns an imaging-board idea into a converted part without a round of back-and-forth.
Start with the job, because the three are opposite
The single most useful thing on an imaging RFQ is naming which of three jobs the part does: insulate a conductor from its neighbor, shield a circuit from interference, or cushion a fragile part from shock. The three need opposite properties, so naming the job immediately narrows the family to a dielectric, a conductor, or a cushion. It avoids the failure of specifying a conductive part where a dielectric belongs, which shorts the gap, or an insulator where a shield belongs, which opens the boundary. Name the job first; the family follows.
The inputs that size each job
Once the job is named, each one has its own short list of inputs:
- Dielectric insulator. The working voltage, any creepage and clearance constraint, the barrier or slot geometry, and whether it laminates into a stack, so we size a polyimide thickness with margin per ASTM D149 and pick a plain or bondable grade.
- EMI shield. The seam geometry, the closure force, the mating-surface finish, and where the seam must stay continuous, so we choose a conductive elastomer, foil, or sponge and flag the grounding contact zone.
- Shock cushion. The shock and vibration duty, the part it protects, and the temperature, so we choose a PORON Medical urethane or a silicone foam and size the pad.
- Flex coverlay. The flex outline, the bend locations, and the stack-up, so the stiffener ends clear of the bend radius.
- Biocompatibility and quantities. Whether the part is internal-only or patient-facing, the basis your file needs per the ISO 10993 series if so, and prototype plus production volumes.
What format to send
A dimensioned drawing or a DXF or STEP of the part outline is ideal, but a sketch with the key dimensions and the job labeled is enough to start, and a board layout showing where the part sits helps us see the grounding and bend context. If you have a material in mind from the parent page, name it and we will confirm it against the duty; if not, describe the job and let engineering recommend a family.
Tell us whether the part should ship kiss-cut on a liner for placement, and we cut it the way your line wants it.
From Imaging-Board Idea to Converted Part
| You send | It decides |
|---|---|
| Which job: insulate / shield / cushion | Dielectric vs conductor vs cushion family |
| Working voltage + creepage/clearance | Polyimide thickness and margin per ASTM D149 |
| Seam geometry + closure force | Conductive elastomer, foil, or sponge |
| Mating-surface finish + seam continuity | Grounding-contact zone flag |
| Shock/vibration duty + part protected | PORON urethane or silicone foam, pad size |
| Flex outline + bend locations | Coverlay and stiffener setback |
| Internal vs patient-facing + quantities | ISO 10993 basis and tooling approach |
Dielectric strength per ASTM D149; biocompatibility basis per the ISO 10993 series where patient-facing; shielding effectiveness and dielectric verification are confirmed on the assembled product by the device builder.
A worked example
Say you send: a dielectric slot liner, working voltage stated with a required creepage path, barrier geometry as a DXF, laminates into a stack, internal-only so no biocompatibility basis needed, 200 prototype and 10,000 per year.
From that, engineering would point at a general-purpose polyimide HN grade at a thickness sized for margin against the working voltage per ASTM D149, recommend the bondable FEP-coated polyimide if it has to laminate without a separate adhesive, and quote the die-cut liner kiss-cut on a liner. For a shielding part the same exchange would produce a conductive EMI elastomer with a flagged grounding-contact zone. That is the whole loop in one pass.
How H-O Products helps
H-O Products is a precision die-cut converter, not a raw-material producer and not the device maker. Tell us the job and the duty and we recommend a family and grade, then die-cut, kiss-cut, laminate, and kit the part to your drawing, with material traceability and lot-code TDS records under our ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system in Winsted, Connecticut. Grade-level values are confirmed against the maker's current TDS, and where a part is patient-facing we cite the maker's published biocompatibility basis per the ISO 10993 series.
Emissions qualification, dielectric verification, and device clearance stay with the device owner.
Frequently asked questions
What is the single most useful thing to put on an imaging-part RFQ?
Which of three jobs the part does: insulate, shield, or cushion. The three need opposite properties, so naming the job immediately narrows the family to a dielectric, a conductor, or a cushion and avoids the failure of specifying a conductive part where a dielectric belongs or vice versa. Once the job is named, the working voltage, seam geometry, or shock duty sizes the specific part.
Do I have to send a CAD drawing, or is a sketch enough?
A sketch with the key dimensions and the job labeled is enough to start, and a board layout showing where the part sits helps us see the grounding or bend context. A dimensioned drawing is better, and a DXF or STEP of the part outline is best because it lets us cut a die-cut sample on your exact geometry fastest. Send whatever you have; engineering can begin from a clear sketch.
What do you need to size a dielectric insulator?
The working voltage, any creepage and clearance constraint, the barrier or slot geometry, and whether it laminates into a stack. With those, we size a polyimide thickness with margin against the dielectric strength on the maker TDS per ASTM D149, and pick a plain grade or a bondable FEP-coated grade if it has to laminate without a separate adhesive. Sizing to the working voltage with headroom, not the minimum, is what prevents a service breakdown.
What do you need to choose an EMI shielding part?
The seam geometry, the closure force, the mating-surface finish, and where the seam must stay continuous. The closure force and geometry choose between a conductive elastomer, a foil tape, and a soft conductive sponge, and the mating-surface finish tells us where to flag a bare-metal contact zone so the gasket can actually ground. We cut the conductive part; the grounding scheme and emissions qualification are the device builder's.
What do you need to size a shock cushion?
The shock and vibration duty, the part it protects, and the temperature. Those choose a PORON Medical microcellular urethane for controlled compression and slow recovery, or a silicone foam where higher temperature tolerance is needed, and size the pad to absorb the energy without taking a permanent set. Tell us what the cushion protects and the handling or transport environment, and we size and cut the pad.
How do I tell you about a flex-circuit coverlay?
Send the flex outline, the bend locations, and the stack-up. We die-cut the polyimide coverlay and stiffener, including a bondable FEP-coated grade that laminates without a separate adhesive, and end the stiffener clear of the bend radius so the flexing zone stays flexible. The bend locations are the critical input, because a stiffener placed inside the bend zone cracks the coverlay.
When does an imaging part need a biocompatibility basis?
Only where it contacts a patient-facing surface or a fluid path; a purely internal insulator, shield, or cushion generally does not, but the device owner makes that call. Where a basis is needed we convert materials whose makers publish one per the ISO 10993 series and pass it through with traceability. Tell us whether the part is internal-only or patient-facing and we point you at a material whose maker publishes the basis you need.
Can you match a material I already have on the parent page?
Yes. Name the family or grade you have in mind, such as a polyimide HN dielectric, a conductive EMI elastomer, or a PORON Medical cushion, and we confirm it against the duty you describe and quote it as a die-cut part. If the duty makes it a poor fit, for example a dielectric sized with no margin, we flag that and suggest an alternative. The job and the duty are what we check the material against.
How fast can I get a sample once I send the spec?
For common die-cut configurations on materials we keep on hand, samples typically ship in 3 to 5 business days, and sending a DXF or STEP of the outline is the fastest path because we cut on your exact geometry. Standard production runs about two weeks after drawing approval, and expedited service is available. MOQ varies by material and part. A complete checklist on the first pass keeps the sample loop short.
Does H-O qualify the electronics or verify the dielectric and emissions?
No. H-O converts the insulation, shielding, and cushioning materials to your drawing and supplies material traceability and lot-code TDS records that support your file. Verifying the dielectric performance, qualifying the emissions, performing any biocompatibility testing per the ISO 10993 series, and clearing the device belong to the device owner and its test houses. Our deliverable is the converted, die-cut part, made repeatably and traceably to your spec.
What do I send to get an insulation, shielding, or cushioning quote?
Name the job, then send the specifics: for a dielectric, the working voltage, creepage and clearance, barrier geometry, and lamination need; for a shield, the seam geometry, closure force, and mating-surface finish; for a cushion, the shock duty and the part protected; for a flex coverlay, the outline and bend locations. Add whether the part is patient-facing, the biocompatibility basis if so, and the quantities. With that, engineering recommends a family and grade and quotes a die-cut part.
Send your imaging-part spec for a quote
Name the job, then send the working voltage, the seam geometry and closure force, or the shock duty, plus the quantities, and we will recommend a family and grade and quote a die-cut part to your drawing.
Samples typically ship in 3 to 5 business days for common die-cut configurations on materials we keep on hand; standard production runs about two weeks after drawing approval; expedited service is available. MOQ varies by material and part.
Family-owned in Winsted, Connecticut since 1971 · ISO 9001:2015 certified · OEMs worldwide send us a drawing — and get back their part.
Related reading
ApplicationMedical Imaging Insulation, Flex Circuit & EMI ShieldingRead →
GuidePolyimide Dielectric, Conductive Gasket, or PORON Cushion: Choosing Medical Imaging Insulation and ShieldingRead →
GuideWhy the Shield Did Not Shield: Grounding Paths, Flex-Circuit Coverlay, and Dielectric BreakdownRead →
IndustryMedical hubRead →
Request a quote for your medical imaging insulation or shielding part
Name the job and send the duty and geometry, or the five sizing inputs—engineering reviews every RFQ and converts samples on your geometry.
Last updated · Reviewed by H-O Products engineering (ISO 9001:2015 certified converter, Winsted, CT).
References
- ASTM D149 (dielectric breakdown voltage and dielectric strength of solid insulating materials), cited by designation for the polyimide dielectric basis.
- ISO 10993 series (biological evaluation endpoints) and USP Class VI, cited by designation where a part contacts a patient-facing surface or fluid path.
- Manufacturer technical data sheets for the polyimide film, conductive EMI elastomer, conductive foil and sponge, and PORON Medical microcellular urethane grades named on the parent application page.
This article summarizes material-selection and design principles for medical imaging insulation, flex circuits, and EMI shielding using the families and published test methods cited on the parent application page. Comparisons are qualitative; per-grade values are maker technical-data-sheet figures and must be confirmed on the manufacturer's current TDS at your installed condition. Standards (ISO 10993, USP Class VI, ISO 11607, IEC, ASTM, UL) are cited by designation for context, not as a claim of qualification or registration.
H-O Products is a precision die-cut converter, not a raw-material producer and not the device maker; biocompatibility testing, sterilization validation, device clearance, and final-assembly certification belong to the device owner and its test houses.