Disposable medical devices and supplies are an important part of the global market, with demand in the U.S. predicted to rise 4.3 percent yearly to $46.7 billion through 2016 according to a recent report by . However, the drive for greater sustainability serves as a counterpoint. While acknowledging the argument for disposables – avoiding the spread of blood-borne pathogens, for example – these items contribute to the vast and growing problem of waste disposal. By one estimate, . Because some disposables must be incinerated for safety, they permanently consume valuable raw materials, while nonhazardous waste loads up landfills.
Thoughtful design of new devices to minimize resource use or take advantage of renewable materials can help. Part integration can play a role. Another possibility is separating components traditionally bundled in single-use packets, such as surgical instruments, to avoid the common requirement to dispose of the entire package, whether items have been used or not. Still another tool is design for disassembly. By looking farther down the product lifecycle, device manufacturers can make an important contribution to improving sustainability.
Medical Device Design for Disassembly
Design for disassembly considers the need to take apart a product later in the lifecycle, whether for repair, maintenance or recycling, and builds in ways to simplify this process. In the case of medical devices, disassembly extends to cleaning and sterilization for reuse. The design for disassembly trend is being fueled by regulations such as the , which gave manufacturers responsibility for disposal of these products. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment helped encourage easier disassembly of electrical and electronic goods for streamlined recycling or disposal.
include:
- Avoiding toxic or hazardous materials
- Avoiding permanent bonding (co-molding, adhesion) of different materials, which inhibits recycling
- Minimizing the varieties of fasteners used and making them accessible – or making parts that snap together
- Marking materials for ease of sorting
- Eliminating paints and coatings that can contaminate substrates
- Ensuring parts can be easily separated from each other with or without simple tools
Easier Cleaning, Recycling of Medical Devices
In the fast-paced healthcare environment, simplicity and speed are keys to effective disassembly. To that end, manufacturers should design devices that can be taken apart quickly and provide easy-to-follow instructions to avoid human error.
“The ability to take apart medical devices for cleaning or recycling may encourage a shift from wasteful disposables,” said Eric Austermann, vice president of 91社区’s social and environmental responsibility group. “Even if only a portion of the device can be reused, such as the electronics, the ability to separate its components will make it easier to handle each piece appropriately for cleaning/sterilization, recycling or incineration.”
For example, announced a line of take-apart laparoscopic instruments that enable more-thorough cleaning, sterilization and inspection. The three-component CareFusion Snowden-Pencer products claim “intuitive” disassembly and reassembly. This company’s design for disassembly strategy allows healthcare organizations to achieve their stringent cleanliness goals without relying so heavily on disposables.
With sustainability mandates now part of most healthcare organizations’ corporate guidelines, design for disassembly promises to play an increasingly important role in the selection and procurement of medical devices.
What other designing for disassembly practices should healthcare manufacturers and designers consider for product design that will ensure both product safety and effective use in patient care?
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