Factors to Consider When Selecting Components for Medical Devices
It might be a daunting task deciding what components to select to power your medical device. Whether it’s a component of a small blood glucose monitor for a patient with diabetes or surgical tool for a neurosurgical procedure, selecting the right component for a medical device requires the knowledge of a skilled med tech personnel.
Here at A Biomedical services, we have a team of highly trained engineers and specialists who will provide the evaluation of all components of each device and provide advice on the right components to use to maintain optimal functioning of each device and ensure this equipment remain durable.
There are four critical factors which you should closely consider when selecting components for your devices. Size
In the world of medical devices, smaller is better. As technology becomes “smarter”, smaller devices have become more desirable. Patients too, prefer to have portable monitors such as wearable cardiac monitors or medication pumps rather than being connected to bulky equipment.
One benefit of this portable technology is that the data recorded or the vital signs measured by these wearables can be transferred to healthcare providers with a click of a button. In addition, ECG monitoring can now be done using a cardiac monitoring patch which checks the electrical activity of the heart and detects arrhythmias. These products provide both diagnostic accuracy and patient comfort.
Home healthcare will be the new paradigm shift in healthcare as rising healthcare costs and better patient care drives this trend in portable device technology. This will significantly bypass the barriers associated with the cost and time required for the patient to travel long distances for routine hospital visits.
Performance
Performance of a medical device component is very critical in healthcare as it is pivotal to making an accurate diagnosis and initiating treatment options.
For instance, in the treatment of chronic conditions such as asthma, COPD, and diabetes, medications are often needed at regular and frequent intervals. To address issues relating to poor compliance and inadequate dosing, several drug delivery systems such as auto-injectors, dry powder inhalers (DPI), and measured dose inhalers (MDI) have been developed.
Many of these devices have an electromechanical switch which starts the drug delivery cycle and detects dosage errors. Because these devices may be needed in emergency situations, such as acute asthma or a diabetic emergency, the switches need to function properly and reliably. Therefore, in selecting the right drug delivery device, the switch must be checked for design and functionality.
Environment
Medical devices need to be durable for continuous healthcare delivery and durability involves withstanding diverse environmental conditions from exposure to blood and bodily fluids and sterilization chemicals. Essentially, a medical device must be corrosion-resistant as it may be exposed to these substances in a hospital.
In addition, in the hospital setting, medical equipment may be moved around fast without gentle handling especially in emergency situations, therefore, you want to ensure that your medical device components can withstand such strong impact.
In considering a medical device component, you should be sure they can withstand these conditions to keep them functioning optimally for a long time. In addition, it is best that you determine if your environment will limit the range of products suitable for your facility to avoid replacement, frequent repairs, and low ROIs.
Contact us at A Biomedical Services for expert consultancy services for your desired medical devices, as we work with manufacturers to give you value for your money.