Design Considerations for Reusable Medical Devices

  Designers must consider a number of factors when designing reusable medical devices.

infection prevention

Making reusable medical devices easy to clean is key to ensuring patient safety. Because of the risk of contamination from items used in patient care. For example, a stethoscope is a reusable medical device. However, studies have shown that users often do not follow relevant cleaning recommendations and there is a risk of cross-contamination. The study found that the use of copper on the stethoscope's diaphragm, binaural tubes, significantly reduced stethoscope colony formation. Abroad, a research team has developed a small box-style product that can be stuffed into the pocket of a medical coat. Once the user attaches it to the stethoscope diaphragm, the unit automatically begins UV cleaning that lasts three to five minutes.

User friendliness

Medical device designers must study how to make their products as easy as possible to interact with patients, suppliers, and any other applicable parties during their intended use.

Making products easy to handle is critical to ensuring compliance in regulated industries. At the same time the design of the product also plays an important role in the correct use of the product.

As a result, the regulator has some recommendations on how to make reusable medical devices as user-friendly as possible, including:

● If the device has multiple parts, it should be easy to disassemble

● Ensure that critical connections, such as those on endoscope tubes, are non-interchangeable

● Clear marking to show which parts are not suitable for reuse and identify which parts are connection accessories

These strategies help medical professionals use reusable products safely and effectively. The regulator also recommends providing clear re-use instructions and recommending measures of use to verify that the chosen method of re-use works as intended. This guidance eliminates the possibility that users may make false assumptions when using reproducible medical products.

Sustainability

As people become more concerned about environmental issues, they are often looking for sustainable designs in the products they use. For example, applications for parenteral or invasive medical products require them to be single-use medical devices. Recently, however, designers are working on mix-and-match designs. For example, a product may have parts that are disposable and easily removable, as well as parts that can be sterilized and reused multiple times. In addition to this, as more and more medical devices have embedded electronics, if some components can be designed to be reusable, the cost may also be reduced for manufacturers and users.

At the same time sustainability makes the instrument more attractive to those making the purchasing decision. The study found that, within a year, the method of medical device reuse saved medical facilities an estimated $470 million and reduced the generation of medical waste by approximately 15 million pounds.

Relying solely on single-use medical devices is not financially feasible, and reusable devices present some unique challenges. Medical companies should therefore evaluate how to keep medical device design advancing without sacrificing patient safety, ease of use, and sustainability. While the above are not all factors to consider, they provide a starting point for designers to recognize their critical role in the future of the medical industry.

The ITL team clearly understands that the market is facing a shift from short-term strategies to sustainable development, so designers will consider the durability of all other components, excel at designing "hybrid" units that are easy to split and disassemble according to needs, while clear With a solid understanding of the competitive landscape, cost constraints and market penetration strategies to balance real market drivers and equipment technology, an experienced team takes effective solutions to ensure project mission completion.

Shandong Rona Scientific Instrument Co., Ltd. was established in Shandong, China. It is a comprehensive company that relies on colleges and universities as a background and cooperates with well-known domestic biochemical companies to engage in biochemical pharmaceutical equipment, research and development, production and sales.

CHISON Medical Technologies Co., LTD(Stock Code: 688358) has emerged as World’s leading Diagnostic Ultrasound manufacturer since its inception in 1996.

Beijing Wondcon Technology Limited covers the business of medical imaging, laboratory equipment,  operation room equipment, ICU equipment and other medical equipment, to provide you pleasant one-stop shopping experience.