A medical device customer approached EPI to design a multi-function keyboard to control MRI scans. The system required special scan control keys, an audio intercom and a data entry keyboard. The challenge was to effectively bundle all of the necessary components in a package equal in thickness to a standard PC keyboard, with only an additional 1-inch allowance in depth. The finished product also had to accommodate multiple languages in both the keypad and the scan keys.

Solution: As the space constraints placed restrictions on the functionality and size of the electronics, EPI partitioned the circuitry so that an electrical function resided on a different PC board. Therefore, the PC boards took on unique shapes based on their location within the package. Due to set height restrictions, connections were made by using high density/low profile board-to-board connectors. For this reason, EPI engineers overlapped the boards and reduced the spacing between the boards to .064 inches.

To accommodate the need for multiple languages, EPI’s purchasing department instituted a selection process for a keyboard vendor that could supply the required languages without affecting the physical size of the keyboard. Finally, the chosen vendor also demonstrated a commitment to a mechanically stable keyboard for five years.
Results: EPI reduced the number of parts, which allowed all of the customer’s design objectives and packaging requirements to be met. The payoff is a reliable product that can be shipped directly to the installation site. EPI’s Customer does not handle any shipping functions or perform any testing or incoming inspection, resulting in a considerable cost savings to the medical device company.