Medical equipment is essential to diagnostics, treatment and chronic disease management. It is also integral to the behind-the-scenes work in laboratories, where scientists study samples under microscopes, and technicians run specific tests to check tissue and bodily fluids for abnormalities. What manufacturers make them out of is critical to their performance.
By Ellie Gabel.
Supporting Automation Investments
Increasing patient demands have made health care executives more interested in automating specific processes to increase maximum output while reducing errors and tackling labor shortages. Strategically chosen materials enable those enhancements. Automated systems vary by type and purpose, but many feature conveyor belts, robotic arms, and other components to move and handle lab samples and similar contents.
Selecting smooth, nonporous and easy-to-clean materials for the associated medical equipment ensures the facilities meet sanitation goals. Additionally, prioritizing durability extends longevity and increases resilience to everyday use.
An automated microbiology lab at the University of Colorado’s health campus features pneumatic tubes and dumbwaiters that carry approximately 650 samples daily through a multistep process. After receiving commands from lab workers’ computer stations, the closed-loop system carries agar plates to the correct destinations. Employees say this improvement gives doctors test results faster, which benefits patient care. Carefully chosen materials make automation-driven workflows more effective, allowing the foundational equipment to withstand ongoing demands.
Minimizing Unwanted Bacterial Growth
Undesired bacterial proliferation in labs or hospital environments increases the risk of deadly infections and associated complications. Materials scientists have explored whether surface treatments could mitigate the issue. In a 2022 example, a UCLA group used zwitterionic material to form a barrier that stops bacteria and other potentially harmful organisms from adhering to medical equipment surfaces.
More recently, University of Nottingham scientists invented a paint to kill bacteria and viruses on surfaces. It includes chlorhexidine — an antiseptic used to disinfect the skin and instruments before surgeries. This highly versatile innovation adds an antimicrobial coating to various plastic and nonporous materials.
Experiments confirmed the paint works immediately after drying, making it a cost-effective, user-friendly way to reduce bacteria levels in high-risk environments. Choosing materials compatible with such coatings when designing medical equipment could elevate safety.
Increasing Effectiveness
Engineers and other specialists who make health care devices assess dozens of material candidates during development stages, prioritizing those that meet the most significant needs and uphold quality goals. Specifics vary depending on the application, but users quickly notice when design teams pick purposeful materials.
For example, durable and comfortable materials could increase patients’ willingness to keep wearable devices attached to their skin for hours or days. Such equipment provides real-time statistics and other valuable information to shape physicians’ care decisions.
The material is one of many aspects that product development teams assess. Sometimes, even tiny changes affect how well devices function. Surgeons use hemostats to grab and stabilize tissue during tasks such as suturing. Designs with curved jaws improve access as users work in hard-to-reach sites. Additionally, serrated tips provide better grasping capabilities than blunt-tipped types designed for delicate areas.
Skilled designers also select biocompatible materials for implantable medical equipment. Products in this category must withstand the often-harsh conditions inside patients’ bodies without triggering the immune systems to treat them as invaders or damaging fragile organs.
In one example, researchers made a wireless monitoring device that rests directly on a transplanted organ to detect potential signs of rejection, such as inflammation-related temperature abnormalities. These complications can occur at any time after apparently successful transplants, and the looming threat causes ongoing anxiety in patients who do not always experience symptoms.
However, this device sends notifications to smartphones, boosting awareness. It detected rejection indicators several weeks earlier than current monitoring methods, which allowed physicians to administer the necessary therapies sooner.
Furthering Equipment Improvements
History books and museums show how much some medical devices have changed over the centuries. Those alterations facilitated meaningful progress, making them easier for doctors, laboratory staff and other professionals to use while enhancing comfort, durability and additional characteristics affecting patient satisfaction.
As design professionals assess the most suitable improvements, they should prioritize material selection alongside aspects like functionality, weight and size. Well-chosen materials impact safety, performance and usability.
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)
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