Abstract: A method for making an elongate medical device includes coupling a conductive fitting to an elongate conductor and providing an opening through an insulative layer in proximity to the fitting in order to expose the fitting.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting potentially damaging contaminants on the surfaces of a plastic card, such as a credit card, an identification card, and the like, prior to a thermal printing operation being performed on the card. The apparatus includes a roller assembly including a first, driven, rotatable roller and a second, floating, rotatable roller parallel to the first roller. The card is directed between the first and second rollers so that the first roller is engageable with one side surface of the card and the second roller is engageable with the opposite side surface of the card. The second roller is supported in a manner to permit the second roller to pivot about a fixed axis when either one of the first and second rollers encounters a contaminant on one of the side surfaces of the card. An encoder is linked to the second roller for collecting data on the movement of the second roller as the card travels between the first and second rollers.