Kaysun Blog

On April 12-14, 2022, the Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California) will play host to the 13,000 attendees and 1,400 exhibitors of Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West 2022.

On September 28, 2020, the world reached the sad and sobering milestone of 1 million deaths caused by COVID-19. In the three ensuing months, approximately 625,000 more deaths were added to the tally, and the nearly 73 million active cases around the global are added to daily — and at astounding rates.¹

The pandemic has populations scared and experts stymied as to how to manage and eventually eradicate the virus. For obvious reasons the medical and healthcare industries are leading the charge in terms of innovation, with antimicrobial resins and antimicrobial polymers playing major roles in effective solutions.

Medical device design engineers often make allowances for the impact that the molding process has on plastic part manufacturability. They carefully consider a variety of design factors like the materials chosen, the part shape and features, surface finish, and the properties of the tool itself. So, why involve an injection molder early in the medical device development phase? 

Involving an experienced injection molder early in the design process safeguards against adverse outcomes that a designer may not have anticipated.

According to global aging data compiled by the United Nations, by 2050 1 in 6 people in the world will be over the age of 65.¹ That's a dramatic jump from current statistics that place the same segment of the population at 1 in 11.1

As a result — and in light of spikes in medical demand due to COVID-19 for all age groups — healthcare is rapidly shifting from clinics and hospitals to in-home care and smaller, non-traditional facilities.

Complex medical applications require devices and equipment that are protected from dust, chemical vapors, aerosol particles, airborne microbes and other contaminants that could compromise product quality, integrity, and safety.

MD&M West in Anaheim recently wrapped up, and I’ve had some time to reflect on one of the key panel discussions: Exploring the Connection Between Your Manufacturing Process & Patient Safety. 

Using color in medical device design is both practical and a business strategy. Switches and keyboard buttons, for example, might be grouped and color-coded for user-friendliness and improved functionality.¹ Medical device color is also used aesthetically to complement surroundings, and strategically to carry through OEM branding on medical devices.

Medical plastic parts are among the most nuanced applications produced by custom injection molders. The complex nature of medical devices present unique design and engineering challenges, often starting with appropriate plastic selection.

Whether a medical device is used every day or only in emergency situations, it needs to function reliably when it’s called upon — every time. There is simply no room for error.

In the age of increasingly complex medical plastic parts, devices and equipment, that means designers and engineers need to pay even closer attention to detail to ensure precision performance.