Healthcare workers of all stripes use medical grade tubing worldwide for uses ranging from peristaltic pumps and IV bags to use in cutting-edge medical gadgets. Finding the proper tubes for your application can be challenging given the wide range of applications for medical tubing and the sheer number of available solutions. This need not be the case, though! For more details kangaroo feeding
The attributes that tube must have will vary depending on the application. These can range from opacity—the most typical—to particular specifications for flexibility, bend radius, and other factors.
Continue reading to find out more about the materials, sizing, and other performance requirements typical for medical tubing, which will help make these considerations less intimidating.
Critically Examining the Source Material
Material selection is important whether you require a straightforward opaque tube, a radiopaque tube (for x-ray applications), or a medical tube that is biocompatible with particular chemicals. While requirements like opacity are relatively simple, factors like biocompatibility are crucial to avoid pricey and potentially deadly consequences.
For instance, if a medical tube is used to deliver a chemical or drug that is incompatible with it, the contents may actually stick to the tubing’s walls. In the worst case scenario, incompatibility may even cause the pharmaceuticals being used to be chemically altered, which could eventually be harmful to the patient.
Biocompatibility will remain a crucial concern for device manufacturers as the use and variety of medical devices increase. Therefore, it’s critical to pick a tube supplier who keeps up with industry developments.
Performance Is Crucial
Performance requirements might have a significant impact on the medical grade tubing solution you choose, depending on the application that calls for it. The bend radius, temperature range, vacuum rating, and pressure rating are among the most typical performance requirements. The list of these performance traits follows.
Maximum Vacuum: The tube’s ability to withstand the very highest level of vacuum pressure is determined by maximum vacuum. Typically, this rating is expressed in inches or millimetres of mercury, with a reference to atmospheres lower than one standard.
Bend Radius: The tubing cross-tolerance section’s for deformation determines the minimum bend radius rating. Typically, this is expressed in millimetres or inches. Medical tubing is more flexible the smaller the minimum bend radius. This aspect is crucial because excessive flex might bend or deform the tube, which could potentially slow or even halt the flow of liquids.
Temperature Range: A piece of medical tubing’s temperature range rating specifies the range of ambient temperatures that it can function in.
The minimum and maximum pressures that medical grade tubing is intended to withstand are determined by the pressure rating, which is expressed in pounds per square inch (PSI).
Size counts.
Medical grade tubing is offered in a variety of sizes, from large diameter medical device tubing to tiny tubes. The outside diameter is often the starting point for tube sizing (O.D.). The tube’s outer cross section’s total diameter is determined by its outer diameter. The size of the opening inside the tube is determined by the inner diameter, another crucial sizing factor. The actual width of the tube as a whole is referred to as wall thickness.
The proper sizing is crucial when looking into medical tubes to ensure proper operation for your applications. Working with a medical tubing supplier who has experience producing tubes for a variety of medical purposes is crucial for this reason.
