3 Seal Challenges in the Medical Industry

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(Newswire.net — September 24, 2020) — High-quality seals are vital to industries as varied as automotive, aerospace, shipping and all things manufacturing. The medical industry is one area where seal excellence is often a matter of immediate life and death. Medical professionals must rely on an accurate reliability rating of 100 percent for medical equipment to perform an operation or procedure. 

Seals are invaluable tools in environments like hospitals, dental offices and other medical facilities that regularly contain and transfer fluids. 

There are some challenges regarding seals in the medical industry. Here are three of those challenges to help you find the best seal source for the best medical, dental and pharmaceutical tools and applications. 

1. The Number and Variety of Medical Tech Supplies Needed 

Seals are a crucial aspect of any medical tool or application for various special procedures and functions to ensure retention of fluids contamination from operating systems. Seals also ensure that any electrical components stay dry. 

Here is a brief list of medical equipment that relies on precision seals

  • Saline pumps to help propel fluids throughout the body 
  • Respirator pumps to help push air through the lungs 
  • Suction pumps used in surgery to pull excess fluids from the body during and post surgery 
  • Disposable catheters 
  • Saws and drills used in orthopedic surgeries to retain lubricants and fluids
  • Accumulators in prosthetics to allow for natural movement 
  • Mixing seals that help produce pharmaceuticals to standard ingredient amount
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 
  • Oxygenators
  • Syringes
  • Medical lasers
  • Clinical blood pumps
  • Robotic surgery instruments

2. Issues With Materials

The difference between sealing applications that touch human tissue and those that do not is understandably a considerable concern in the industry. Machine Design points out that any sealing applications that come into contact with bodily fluids, tissue or organs must meet a higher standard of quality and care than applications intended for man-made or element-based materials. 

Diligent seal manufacturers remain attuned to this consideration at every step in the design and manufacturing process to ensure that sealing applications intended for the medical industry will never come into direct contact with the human body. The designers and engineers focus on standard principles of seal design and material selection while also considering factors such as contact drugs, biocompatibility and any possible medical fluids. 

3. Maintenance of Medical Tools

Since medical professionals use medical tools multiple times daily, it is essential that staff can quickly and adequately care for those items to ensure sterilization and accessibility. Team members should find it easy to quickly disassemble and reassemble medical tools. One solution manufacturers have developed is the split-design seal that allows users to remove and replace them without needing to perform highly technical engineering tasks, such as removing bearing and motor assemblies. In medical environments, especially those in surgery and emergency rooms, excessive downtime for the maintenance of medical tools is not an option. 

Find a Trustworthy Provider That Creates High-Quality Products for Medical Tools and Applications

Today, there is no time to spare when it comes to keeping the medical tool and application supply chain in check. When you find a reliable seal manufacturer and distributor, you will always have the supplies that you need on-hand. Better still, your medical buyers or your hospital team can use medical equipment made with premium seals with confidence in its integrity each day and on-demand.