Software Developer Required
Weidlinger Associates Inc has an opening for a well motivated computer scientist in the Applied Science Division (ASD). The chosen candidate will work independently and in teams developing graphical user interfaces, visualization, documentation, tests, and work in all other aspects of scientific code development for both 2D and 3D simulation. In addition, the candidate will have the opportunity to work with programmers, engineers, and other scientists in the development of the commercial PZFlex software package, that enables worldwide engineering groups to virtually prototype new acoustic designs.

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PZFlex® Provides Ultrasound Modeling for Promising Cancer Treatment
The University of Leeds announced on June 28, 2010, that they had received funding from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to establish proof of concept for a highly innovative method of applying chemotherapy directly to cancerous sites within the body. As developers of PZFlex, the world’s leading ultrasound modeling software, Weidlinger Associates, Inc. (www.wai.com) provided consulting services for the proposal and was named to the advisory board of the five-year project. The project involves many of the University’s medical and scientific faculties, the companies Epigem and Precision Acoustics, and the charity Leeds and West Riding Medical Research.

The Leeds team is proposing that existing chemotherapy drugs be carried inside the tiny gas-filled microbubbles, one millionth of a meter across, that are routinely injected into the bloodstream to obtain clearer ultrasound images (they reflect a stronger signal than the surrounding tissue). A surface chemical or antibody would cause these nanospheres to attach to the targeted region or tumor.

The normally robust bubbles will be subjected to ultrasound frequencies that cause them to vibrate and break apart, which in turn will cause the membranes of the targeted cells to rupture temporarily and fill up with a manageable but effective drug dose. This localized approach should reduce the harm caused to the body by these toxic drugs, as any unburst bubbles are excreted naturally. It will also help technicians reach heretofore inaccessible tumor sites. The bubbles, made from lipids filled with a heavy “fluorocarbon” gas, do not easily dissolve in the bloodstream.

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PZFlex® 2.3 Release
New Version Adds Memory, Wizard Tools and New Computational Elements

Mountain View, CA – January 21, 2010 – PZFlex® announced the release of a new version of its virtual prototyping software for commercial and academic use. PZFlex 2.3 includes new wizard tools and core computation module features, as well as a beta version of a rapid and simplified 1D Modeling Toolkit and expanded post-processing capability.

PZFlex brings sophisticated modeling to desktops and is indispensable to a variety of industries. The software was originally developed in the 1980s by international engineering firm Weidlinger Associates®, Inc. to model ultrasonic probes.

“Our aim is to make life easier for creative engineers in every industry. We’ve taken our knowledge of finite element modeling and typical devices, and we’ve upgraded the software to capture the essence of the problems many product design teams face,” said PZFlex Business Group Director Dr. Paul Reynolds. “PZFlex software’s power and accuracy clears the path for advancements in emerging technologies, including wireless, environmental and medical.”

“The latest version of PZFlex has enabled MSI to develop transducer designs more cost effectively by allowing a greater number of our transducer engineers to use it without the need for advanced training,” said Barry Doust, technical manager at Materials Systems Inc., a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of sub-systems, components and advanced materials for defense and commercial systems that uses PZFlex to design and develop transducers for sonar and industrial ultrasound.

The FlexLAB platform has been upgraded in PZFlex 2.3 to a true 64-bit environment to increase the memory available for inputting SolidWorks designs and provide more flexible material importation tools. The core computation module has been enhanced to include: acoustic force radiation, shock heating, dielectric loss, volume calculation, simplified model bending and geometry allocation, multiple drive functions, and other features requested by users. The new calculator function allows designers to manipulate Flex histories and other ASCII data more easily.

To view the full list of PZFlex v2.3 updates, click here

All PZFlex versions offer seamless interface with SolidWorks, one of the most popular CAD/CAM packages available for designing prototypes and sharing technical drawings with manufacturers.

In September 2009, Weidlinger announced the opening of its new U.K. sales office in Glasgow and the appointment of former Rolls-Royce principal technologist Gerry Harvey, Ph.D. as PZFlex Sales Manager, Europe.

Discounted pricing for PZFlex is available for academic use. For larger modeling problems, a stand-alone SPFlex module available with PZFlex serves the growing field of medical therapeutics, providing accurate modeling of wave propagation over thousands of wavelengths in all acoustic media (air, water, and tissue).

For PZFlex product support and sales, e-mail support@pzflex.com or call (650) 230 0210 (U.S.) or +44 (0)141 303 8303 (Europe).

Student Competition
The PZFlex® software group at Weidlinger Associates Inc., announced that Andrew Dawson, a PhD student at the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, won the first annual PZFlex Student Innovation Competition. The contest was initiated to “inspire novel uses for PZFlex software in solving today’s complex engineering problems” and to advance the use of virtual tools in as many industries as possible. The highly versatile and adaptable virtual prototyping software addresses primary markets totaling hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide. PZFlex users Dr. Charles DeSilets, CTO at Liposonix, Inc., and Dr. Rainer Schmitt, CTO at Sonovation served as judges, along with PZFlex Director Dr. Paul Reynolds.

Introducing PZFlex Standard
Weidlinger Associates has released its PZFlex 2.1™ 3D virtual-prototyping software in two versions—PZFlex Professional™ and PZFlex Standard™. PZFlex is the preferred software of industrial designers and academic researchers worldwide who are responsible for developing and improving ultrasonic and piezoelectric devices for biomedical, naval, and other industrial applications. The original Professional version has been serving large institutions and enterprises since the late 1980s; PZFlex Standard is targeted to mid-sized businesses and independent consultancies who require a more affordable version of the fastest and most accurate 3D virtual-prototyping software on the market.