Watlow® White Paper: Role of Heating Technology in Medical Equipment

The latest White Paper from internationally renowned industrial thermal solutions specialist Watlow® discusses medical device trends and how heating technology plays a vital role in the function of medical equipment.

The technical article authored by Watlow Chief Systems Designer Andy Selvy, shows how heating technology acts behind the scenes to ensure the critical function of various medical devices.

Device market trends

The article establishes that with some 10,000 different medical devices currently involved in the diagnosis, treatment or improvement of life, each individual piece of equipment must be manufactured to the highest standards to ensure accurate, efficient and safe results, including its incorporated thermal systems. These fulfil a wide range of functions such as regulating humidity, sterilization and stabilizing fluid for injection across applications that include anesthesia delivery, respiratory therapy,  blood transfusion and intravenous (IV) systems.

It notes that several market trends now create unique thermal challenges, including  miniaturization, increased throughput for diagnostic equipment and a shift towards point-of-care diagnostics focused on preventative care and faster medical decisions, all overlaid by the general need to satisfy different regional regulatory requirements and consumer preferences in global markets.

Manufacturing demands

The manufacturing challenges created include catering for differing voltage requirements and increasingly stringent safety standards. For those focusing on making devices smaller, there are the associated challenges of still delivering high performance and ensuring careful, considered placement of each component to maximize space.

The article highlights the role that Watlow’s century of experience, exceptional range of solutions, and rigorous safety standards plays in helping OEM device manufacturers to optimize system architecture and engineer the right product.

The article also details the mission-critical role of Watlow products used in medical devices during the COVID-19 pandemic, including use of  ULTRAMIC advanced ceramic heaters in a device that substitutes for hospital ventilators, the way its foam-in-place silicone rubber heaters have been used to help with COVID-19 vaccine testing, and application of Watlow EZ-ZONE® panel mount (PM) controllers to control air flow and negative vacuum conditions in hospital tent systems.

Resources

Click on Watlow Technical Library for further resources