At Aprios Custom Manufacturing, we build partnerships designed to last. For over two decades, we have collaborated with Nonin Medical, Inc., a global leader in noninvasive medical monitoring. Our long-standing relationship was put to the ultimate test during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we worked together to produce a critical component for the Onyx® Fingertip Pulse Oximeter—an essential tool in medical settings worldwide.
The Nonin Onyx® Fingertip Pulse Oximeter provides vital, real-time measurements of arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate. Its durable, lightweight design has made it an indispensable device in hospitals, clinics, and homes across more than 125 countries.
The device’s importance became acutely magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus spread, healthcare providers began to recognize "silent hypoxia," a dangerous condition where patients' oxygen levels drop to dangerously low levels without obvious symptoms like shortness of breath. The Onyx pulse oximeter emerged as a key diagnostic tool, enabling the early identification of at-risk patients and allowing for timely medical intervention. This created an unprecedented and immediate surge in global demand for the device.
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Nonin Medical faced a convergence of challenges. The company was already contending with aging plastic injection mold design services for the Onyx’s plastic housings. At the same time, design enhancements were needed to improve both functionality and manufacturability—highlighting the critical role of Design for Injection Molding (DfIM) and Plastic Part Design Optimization.
When the pandemic triggered skyrocketing demand, these issues were magnified. Nonin needed a design and manufacturing company that could rapidly implement tooling upgrades and dfm development services while scaling production—all without compromising the device’s reputation for quality.
Working in close collaboration, our teams developed a comprehensive action plan. Aprios’s engineering and quality experts led the development of new, state-of-the-art injection molding tooling. We followed a rigorous, multi-stage validation protocol—IQ (Installation Qualification), OQ (Operational Qualification), and PQ (Performance Qualification)—to confirm that new tooling and processes could consistently deliver on all quality and functional requirements. This approach aligned with our FDA-compliant manufacturing and ISO-certified manufacturing standards, allowing us to quickly and confidently expand production.
Our joint efforts delivered results that exceeded expectations. The validated tooling and upgraded processes enabled a rapid increase in production of high-quality oximeter housings, demonstrating Aprios’s ability to execute precision manufacturing services under extreme pressure.
This manufacturing agility played a key role in Nonin’s “All Together Now” campaign, which promised healthcare providers reliable, uninterrupted supply. By addressing both tooling and design issues with cutting-edge design for manufacturing solutions, Aprios helped Nonin meet global demand—proving the power of long-term partnerships built on trust, agility, and technical expertise.
Most importantly, our work helped put life-saving devices into the hands of frontline medical professionals across the world.
To learn more about how we partnered with Nonin Medical to deliver life-saving solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, download the full case study here. It offers an in-depth look at how we tackled the challenges of tooling, design, and ramped-up production to support the global healthcare community.
As a trusted partner offering medical injection molding, insert molding for medical devices, and DFM for medical devices, Aprios brings a full suite of design for manufacturing services and secondary operations. Whether you need quick turn injection molding, custom manufacturing services, or tooling solutions, we deliver the speed, precision, and scalability your project demands.
We are proud to support medical innovators like Nonin with low-volume injection molding, additive manufacturing solutions, and plastic injection molding services that uphold the highest quality standards—even in the most critical situations.