How the Medical Industry Chooses Safe, Sanitary Seals

Doug Sharpe
President of Elasto Proxy

Hospitals and healthcare providers make life-and-death decisions every day. Meanwhile, the cost of medical equipment continues to rise. Doctors and nurses want state-of-the art technology for their patients, but medical manufacturers understand the pressures that hospital accountants face. Patient health and safety comes first, but medical costs must account for quality, too.

When the medical industry chooses a sealing supplier, buyers want to work with solutions providers instead of salespeople. By selecting a partner instead of a provider, medical device manufacturers can also strengthen supply chains and ensure that material specifications are met. Because hospitals are highly-regulated, medical buyers need suppliers who understand health and safety requirements, too.

So where do companies that make medical equipment and medical assist devices begin? How do buyers account for quality and costs when choosing a custom fabricator of rubber and plastic parts? Let's begin by examining how these medical components are used.

Medical Equipment

Medical equipment includes diagnostic, therapeutic, and life support equipment as well as medical monitors and laboratory instruments that doctors and nurses use in hospitals and other healthcare settings. Examples include X-ray machines, CT scanners, dialysis equipment, and air regulators. Unlike medical devices for home healthcare, this equipment is designed for use by trained medical technicians.

For many emergency room patients, the X-ray machine is one of the most recognizable types of medical machines. What may be overlooked, however, is the amount of silicone tubing that's used. A durable synthetic resin, silicone is a rubber-like material with a high thermal stability. Silicone can operate over a wide range of temperatures and is hydrophobic, meaning that it repels water.

Medical Assist Devices

Silicone materials are also used in medical assist devices, a broad category of products that includes everything from wheelchair-accessible bathtubs to hospital beds. With handicap accessible baths, for example, rubber door seals prevent water from reaching the floor outside. With steel hospital beds, plastic end caps and rubber rollers help protect flooring and ensure mobility.

Hospital beds also use a special medical assist device that slides under the mattress to prevent roll-out. To help patients get out of bed safely, there's a grip with a foam handle. Ceiling mounted harnesses have rubber seals, too. These specialty rubber products may not capture the attention of busy medical staff, but high-quality rubber components are critical for patient health and safety.

Regulations and Cosmetic Considerations

The medical industry also needs sealing suppliers who can recommend FDA approved materials and understand NSF standards. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Sanitary Foundation (NSF) are key players, with regulations and guidelines that medical manufacturers must follow. Compliance isn't the only consideration, however, as the appearance of products matters, too.

If a rubber seal needs to match a plastic part, extruders can use Pantone color matching. The sealing supplier may not pour the additive or extrude the material, but still strengthens the supply chain by helping the medical manufacturer choose the right rubber. By listening to all of the medical industry's requirements and analyzing all of its needs, sealing suppliers are helping to keep hospitals healthy.